MURRAY, Ky. (AP) — A fire marshal says an equipment malfunction caused a blaze that destroyed a popcorn plant in southwestern Kentucky.
Murray Fire Marshal Dickie Walls told the Murray Ledger & Times that the Ellis Popcorn Company building in Murray is a total loss (http://bit.ly/pcFV7a). Walls says the equipment that failed was in the middle of the building.
Walls said Thursday that the smoke and flames were likely most prevalent in the front office area after the fire started Tuesday because that's where records were kept, which probably fueled the fire.
Walls said an insurance company will send engineers early next week to determine why the equipment malfunctioned.
Investigators faced a delay Wednesday morning when they discovered unexpected chemicals inside the building. A private environmental contractor removed the chemicals, a pesticide, that day.