GASTON, S.C. — One day after an electrical fire at a production facility just outside of Gaston, plant officials say the impact has been fairly limited.
A spokesperson for the Diamond Pet Food facility at the corner of Hwy. 321 and Woodtrail Drive said that the early morning fire, reported at around 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, did force employees to evacuate as per safety protocol. However, he said the fire was contained in one electrical room on the property.
The plant manager said the entire incident halted production for about four hours as Lexington County Fire crews extinguished the fire and investigated. However, the plant was able to bypass that particular room to continue operation.
Plant officials added that the equipment in the electrical room was relatively new. Both the company and fire officials are working to determine what exactly happened. No injuries were reported.
The Gaston facility is one of five operated by the Meta, Missouri-based company. Aside from Gaston, Diamond Pet Foods also operates plants in Lathrop, California, Ripon, California, and Dumas, Arkansas.
The Gaston location employs about 175 people.
