SKOWHEGAN, Maine — Fire crews responded to the Gifford's ice cream plant in Skowhegan Thursday morning.
Flames broke out around 9:30 a.m. on Hathaway Street in the processing room of the plant, according to a post on the official Gifford's Facebook page.
Eight additional fire crews alongside Skowhegan Fire Department responded to the scene.
"There were approximately 40 to 50 people here. This is indicative of what it takes in rural Maine to mitigate emergencies. It takes a lot of resources and a lot of people to come together," Fire Chief Ronnie Rodriguez said.
According to Rodriguez, the majority of the blaze damaged manufacturing rooms and office spaces.
Central Maine Power also came to the scene to keep an eye on a nearby power line close to the building.
"I don't know if you can see it or not, but those three major lines going into the building were impacted and that was a huge concern for me," Rodriguez said. "So right away, initially upon arrival, there's life-safety concerns, there's the hazardous material concern, and there's the electrical concerns."
Emergency responders were able to contain and extinguish the fire within the hour, and everyone who was inside the building was able to get out without injury, Gifford's said.
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