ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — The Pell City Fire and Rescue released information regarding a fire at the Royal Sausage factory from last week.
According to the agency, firefighters received a call for a possible fire in the ventilation system at around 6 p.m. Due to the factory's layout, firefighters couldn't access all areas of the building and the fire quickly spread. This led the group to move towards a defensive attack.
Firefighting continued into early Wednesday morning and crews remained on the scene until late Wednesday afternoon.
An investigation by the fire marshal's office concluded that the fire started in an active smoker. It then spread into an enclosed area between the first and second floors, giving the fire access to the length of the building while also hindering the firefighters' actions.
According to PCFD, a total of 67 personnel, 36 fire apparatus and other vehicles assisted in the firefighting.