Photos: Family-owned bee farm burns to the ground after explosive fire in Florida
The fire tore through a honey-processing facility at Foti Bees Farm, triggering explosions and causing up to $1.2 million in damage.
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CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. – Tragedy unfolded in Florida over the weekend as a fire in Crystal River reportedly destroyed an entire honey facility.
According to Citrus County Fire Rescue, a commercial fire broke out on Sunday morning, and crews immediately worked to protect nearby structures.
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Officials said crew members arrived at 8:29 a.m. to find a 10,000-square-foot commercial building engulfed in a large fire, threatening a nearby home.
Burned down honey facility in Florida.
(Citrus County Fire Rescue / Facebook)
According to our affiliate FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the fire tore through a honey-processing facility at Foti Bees Farm, triggering explosions and causing up to $1.2 million in damage.
Crews extinguished the flames after several hours of diligent work, given the size of the fire and the hazards posed by propane tanks, compressed gas cylinders and repeated explosions from the honey facility.
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First responders work to contain the Crystal River Fire in Florida.
(Citrus County Fire Rescue / Facebook)
"A nearby residence sustained exterior damage; however, firefighters successfully prevented the fire from spreading into the home and avoided the loss of a second structure," the Citrus County Fire Rescue said.
Multiple firefighter units quickly established a water supply and deployed hose lines to protect nearby structures and control the flames.
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The double-wide mobile home was located about 25 feet from the burning structure, but thankfully, first responders bravely defended the home against the fire's intense heat and radiant flames.
Images shared by officials show honey on the floor of the now burned-down facility, after the flames destroyed nearly everything.
![Crews work to contain the flames of the Crystal River Fire.]()
Image 1 of 4Crews work to contain the flames of the Crystal River Fire. (Citrus County Fire Rescue / Facebook)
![First responders extinguish a fire in Florida.]()
Image 2 of 4First responders extinguish a fire in Florida. (Citrus County Fire Rescue / Facebook)
![Charred landscape after a fire destroys a honey facility in Florida.]()
Image 3 of 4Charred landscape after a fire destroys a honey facility in Florida. (Citrus County Fire Rescue / Facebook)
![Honey and other equipment lay on the ground after a fire.]()
Image 4 of 4Honey and other equipment lay on the ground after a fire. (Citrus County Fire Rescue / Facebook)
What remains is a charred landscape of honey, burnt land and structures after the fire engulfed the landscape.
According to Citrus County Fire Rescue, the building and its contents sustained an estimated $716,770 in damage and $544,000 in content loss.
The facility housed agricultural gear, forklifts, commercial mowing equipment, bee boxes, honey-processing equipment and honey storage, according to fire officials.
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The Florida State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the flames.
Foti Bees, which is a family-owned business, was founded in the 1970s on a small island in Citrus County.