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Storage room destroyed in Olymel fire

An early morning fire Thursday at a Red Deer pork processing plant damaged an equipment storage room.

An early morning fire Thursday at a Red Deer pork processing plant damaged an equipment storage room.

Staff at Olymel were evacuated around midnight as fire crews worked inside the building, but there were no reported injuries.

The plant is located at 7550 - 40th Ave., just north of 67th Street along Riverside Drive.

The fire was discovered by the plant’s maintenance workers, said Shane Dussault with Red Deer Emergency Services.

“It destroyed a storage room within the building, but was contained to that area. There was quite extensive damage in that area and a lot of contents had to be emptied out of the room,” said Dussault.

The cause has not been determined, but Dussault said it is assumed to have been accidental. The room in which it occurred — an area used to hand out equipment to workers — was locked at the time, he said.

“It was confined to a smaller area of the building. It could have been a lot worse for sure.”

There was a delay in the plant’s operations as the fire was suppressed and investigated, but it was back up and running later that morning.

Olymel company officials could not be reached for comment.

Olymel is one of Red Deer’s largest employers.