Firefighters battled a large blaze overnight at a food processing plant in Racine County. Personnel and equipment from 80 departments in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois were deployed to the eight-alarm fire at Echo Lake Farm Produce. The 70,000 square-foot structure is located in Burlington near the downtown area. Mayor Bob Miller said 10 homes and an apartment were evacuated close by – and about 50 residents spent the night elsewhere.
Miller said the fire was still out of control as of the 5 o’clock hour Thursday morning, and that no firefighters or employees have been injured. About 300 people work at the plant. It was not immediately known where in the plant the fire had started. It was reported at about 6:00 p.m. Wednesday. Echo Lake Farm Produce makes egg products and breakfast entrees.