A fire at a pet food factory in Ogden caused billowing smoke that could be seen by commuters heading home on Interstate 15 late Thursday afternoon.
Crews on an Ogden Fire Department engine noticed the structure fire while they were driving by the factory, Fire Chief Mike Slater said. The Alphia factory, at 2813 Wall Ave., produces pet food for cats and dogs, and provides over 200 jobs in Ogden, according to KUER.
Ogden City Fire reported the fire on its Facebook page shortly after 4 p.m., and urged residents to avoid the area. By 5 p.m., the building had been evacuated, and firefighters were continuing to battle the blaze, which was isolated to one building at the facility, Slater added.
“Looks like there was a fire that started in the ovens at the plant and then it moved into the smokestacks or the ventilation steam stack,“ Slater said. ”So it’s still an active scene. ... We’ve made some progress."