Gaston, SC 08/26/2021 (Paul Kirby) – Lexington County firefighters responded to an electrical fire at the Diamond Pet Foods production facility on Woodtrail Drive at Highway 321 south in the Town of Gaston Thursday morning. The fire was reported around 8:00 a.m. bringing units and personnel form across southern Lexington County to the industrial site that has produced pet foods from various raw materials at the Gaston facility for many years.
According to the first arriving firefighters, they encountered heavy smoke and active fire in an electrical room when they pulled up on the scene. All of the plant’s employees were evacuated safely as the firefighters assessed the situation and planned their fire attack.
This was not the first electrical fire county firefighters have responded to at this plant. As with previous fires, commanders coordinated with the facility’s maintenance personnel to cut the power feeding the room that was involved. Once that was accomplished, they were able to quickly extinguish the fire and begin using mechanical fans to clear smoke from the facility. The fire was safely contained to the utility room where it originated according to a spokesperson for the county.
County fire officials have not said what started the fire in the room. The plant’s maintenance team was working into the afternoon to restore power to all their production areas. It is not clear exactly how much damage was done by the fire but it doesn’t appear that the facility’s operations will be seriously impacted by the blaze.
