Fire destroys Tupling Farms’ main building

Tanker after tanker from neighbouring municipalities are keeping a steady flow of water to the scene of an early morning fire at Tupling Farms.

The fire destroyed the main building at the family operated potato farm, located on the Mulmur Melancthon Townline near Honeywood.

Andrew Tupling said he was notified of the fire by a neighbour who saw it burning from Honeywood and when he arrived on scene, the building was fully engulfed in flames.

The building that was destroyed housed the business’ main office, processing facility, warehouse and many pieces of equipment, including several specialized pieces designed for the handling of potatoes, some imported from Germany.

“In the short term it has brought us to a standstill,” said Tupling. “Everyone is handling it fine but we are extremely worried about the workload ahead.”

He said they have about two months to figure out how to replace the equipment that was lost in order to be ready to plant this spring.

The main thing, he said, is that no one was injured.

Mulmur-Melancthon Fire Department Chief Jim Clayton said a passerby who saw a glow in the sky called 9-1-1, at 1 a.m. The department called in neighbouring fire departments through the mutual aid agreement.

Throughout the early morning hours, 50 firefighters from seven fire departments have been working to extinguish the fire and protect adjacent buildings, a two-storey house and a row of storage buildings.

The plan was to use a metal picker, donated by Shelburne Iron and Metal, and two backhoes to clear away debris in order to get at the hot spots underneath where the fire still smolders. Clayton said he expects fire crews will be on scene all day and into the night.

He is estimating the cost of the damage between $3- and $4 million. The cause is unknown but it appears the fire started in the centre of the building, said Clayton, where there were two trucks and three backhoes plugged in to charge overnight.

Tupling Farms grows about 1,700 acres of potatoes and employs up to 25 people at peak harvest.