An Aug. 6 fire at the Gar Tootelian Inc. retail facility in Reedley, Calif., caused an estimated $2 million in damage and prompted a response from more than 100 firefighters and six fire departments.
Local reports said the fire started in the facility’s maintenance and fabrication shop and was contained in that 16,000 square-foot structure. In addition to the shop building, there was smoke and water damage to a 4,000 square-foot extension to the shop, according to the Fresno Bee.
The facility was closed at the time and no injuries were reported, nor was any damage reported to fertilizer or agricultural chemicals stored at the site. Fire officials are investigation the cause of the fire. Fire departments from Fresno County, Fresno, Reedley, Dinuba, Selma, and Clovis responded to the blaze.
“We are grateful for our first responders for quick and safe containment,” the company said in an Aug. 7 statement on its website. “We are pleased to announce the Gar is open for business as usual. All dry and liquid fertilizer refill orders are running on time. There may be a temporary delay on equipment orders.”
Gar Tootelian is a locally owned and operated family business established in 1949. The company provides fertilizer, crop protection products, water management, PCA consulting, regulatory and safety services, and equipment to more than 1,500 growers in California’s Central Valley. The company was named the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) 2016 National Agricultural Retailer of the Year, and awarded the 2015 Environmental Respect Award (ERA) for North America by CropLife and DuPont. GAR is also a founding member of Integrated Agribusiness Professionals (IAP).