Electrical Issue to Blame for $1.9M Warehouse Fire

A fire that tore through a tamale manufacturer’s warehouse last week, causing an estimated $1.9 million in damage, involved no foul play.

The findings of the Tampa Fire Marshal’s Office were released Tuesday following the Oct. 16 blaze at 4710 W. Cayuga St. Investigators say the fire started due to an electrical malfunction.

The blaze broke out around 11:05 a.m. in the warehouse near Tampa International Airport. Catalina Finer Foods, a company that makes tamales, suffered a loss of not only the building, but also of food ingredients and office supplies, Tampa Fire Rescue said. No people were injured, however.

The two-alarm fire took more than two hours to put out as items inside, including corn husks, vegetable oil, corn meal and cardboard boxes burned. The building’s roof and two exterior walls collapsed.

The building was insured, fire rescue noted.

Arson investigators were called to the scene due to standard protocol, the agency pointed out.

“The estimated $1 million in damage is one of the triggers for calling in the task force,” agency spokesman Jason Penny wrote in an email. “It does not necessarily mean that arson is suspected.”

Photos courtesy of Tampa Fire Rescue