Fire Breaks Out at Meat Processing Plant

Several crews responded to a fire at Champlain Beef in Whitehall, NY, on Saturday.

The massive structure fire broke out at Champlain Beef on Route 4 on Saturday morning, which runs between Upstate New York and Vermont.

Part of the meat processing facility was gutted.

Route 4 was closed for several hours in the area. Traffic from Fair Haven, Vermont, was also diverted for several hours for drivers to avoid delays when crossing state lines.

Whitehall Town Supervisor John Rozell said in an article by the Times Union, that it is his understanding that a vehicle hit a pole with a transformer on top. The transformer, that converts high voltage electricity to low voltage for customers, broke off, toppling onto the building’s roof, igniting the fire.

Fire crews from Poultney, Vermont, and Fair Haven, Vermont, both assisted to redirect traffic in the area.

The wholesaler, a three-generation business, has been open since 1947. Most recent reports share that at least two dozen people could be left unemployed.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There is no word on injuries due to the fire.