Damage from Echo Lake fire pegged at $40 million

BURLINGTON, Wis. (AP) - A fire at a Burlington food-processing plant in January caused damage worth an estimated $40 million.

A Journal Times of Racine report says the fire occurred in an older part of the Echo Lake Foods building that was built before sprinklers were required.

A Burlington Fire Department incident report says the company was in full compliance with state code. It says the parts of the 70,000-square-foot building built after the 1940s were properly protected by a sprinkler system.

No one was hurt in the Jan. 30 fire. The blaze destroyed about one-third of the plant, and firefighters from eight departments worked for more than 35 hours to put it out.

The company says it will rebuild on site. No timetable has been set.