Edwards shout out was for the five fire agencies, 22 units and more than 60 firefighters that responded to Limoneira Ranch about 9:20 a.m. to a report of smoke detected at the historic packinghouse, facing company headquarters.
The company is located along the 1100 block of Cummings Road where firefighters had the blaze knocked down by 11:15 a.m.
When firefighters arrived on the scene — Santa Paula Engine 82 and Ventura County Fire Engine 26 were the initial responders — there was light smoke coming from the massive warehouse.
Employees were already outside after evacuated from the building — located on Ranch Road — immediately when fire was suspected.
As more firefighters arrived the electricity to the building was turned off, shutting down the lemon packing operations and plunging many areas of the cavernous packinghouse — which also contains large amounts of cardboard, wood, plastic and other combustibles — into darkness.
“It was an extremely dangerous situation,” said Santa Paula Fire Chief Rick Araiza, who noted that although Limoneira is outside city limits the SPFD responded as mutual aid and was part of the initial fire attack.
“There was light smoke showing,” when firefighters arrived on scene, and an elevator was acting as a “conduit for the fire” that started in the building’s basement.
After the blaze was knocked down firefighters used thermal imaging to ensure there were no hotspots in the building.
The blaze — which was confined to an approximately 25-by-25-foot area — is believed to have started from hot material from a welding operation that became lodged between a metal plate and the wall. The fire apparently burned between a small room in the basement and the first floor, as well as spreading to an elevator shaft sending smoke throughout the basement and part of the first floor.
Araiza said SPFD and other firefighters remained on scene until approximately 5 p.m. Officials from the Ventura County Agricultural Department also responded as the fire potentially exposed the lemons being packaged to smoke.
Ventura County was the lead agency for the incident and Deputy Chief Norm Plott, the Incident Commander, contacted Araiza later in the day to personally thank him for the efforts of the SPFD.
“He called about what an excellent job Santa Paula firefighters did, gave accolades to our staff,” for their quick response and actions.
VCFD Assistant Chief Vaughan Miller also noted the work of the SPFD in an incident briefing memo.
