6-alarm fire at Wisconsin food plant

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BURLINGTON, Wis., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A six-alarm fire at a Burlington, Wis., frozen foods plant was battled by 300 firefighters and paramedics before it was contained, fire officials said.

The fire at Echo Lake Farms Produce Co., producers of egg products and breakfast-style entrees, began Thursday evening and was contained by noon Thursday, the Racine Journal Times reported.

Personnel from 80 departments and two states were involved in fighting the fire in the 70,000-square-foot facility, the Chicago Tribune said.

"We have departments from Racine to Milwaukee, and Waukesha and Kenosha counties, and some from northern Illinois," said Burlington City Administrator Kevin Lahner, adding firefighters were regularly checked for symptoms of cold exposure because of frigid temperatures.

Ten nearby homes and an apartment complex were evacuated because of smoke, Lahner said, displacing about 50 people.

Burlington Police Sgt. David Krupp said no deaths were reported, and Aurora Memorial Hospital spokesman Adam Beeson said the hospital treated several walk-in patients for treatment of smoke inhalation.

Krupp said the cause of the fire remains unknown.