Over the weekend, two food processing plants in the United States were hit by back-to-back fires. This fire now adds to a growing list of food processing plants that have experienced similar fires in recent months, with some alleging something more nefarious may be going on.

In California, Saladino’s Processing plant in Fresno experienced a fire Sunday night that halted some operations until Tuesday morning. The facility primarily sells meat and canned goods to wholesale customers and some grocery stores. In Virginia, a Perdue farms plant in Chesapeake experienced a fire Saturday night that temporarily disrupted operations into Sunday. The plant primarily sells soybean products.

Here’s what people are saying:
Some have claimed that the fires add to a more nefarious plot to “intentionally damage US food supply by causing fires at processing plants and facilities.” Individuals claim that these fires have dire consequences on US Food Supply. Others have argued that these accusations are “crazy conspiracy theories that hold no standing and are not backed by any facts.”

Our team has compiled a list of verified fires at processing plants and facilities within the United States over the last year. This list includes the name of the facility, cause of the fire (if available), and some additional information.

5/1/22 Saladinas Processing Plant in Fresno (meat and canned good facility). The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

4/30/22 Perdu Farms facility in Chesapeake, Virginia (soybean product facility). The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

4/19/22 Azure Standard facility in Dufur, Oregon (distributes organic food). The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

4/13/22 Taylor Farms Processing facility in Salinas, California (food distributor). The cause of the fire is not confirmed, but believed to be from a welding accident. Total loss of facility, operations heavily impacted.

4/12/22 Conway Beef & Pork butcher shop & slaughterhouse in Conway, New Hampshire. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. Operations are suspended due to fire.

3/24/22 Penobscot McCrum potato processing plant in Belfast, Maine. The cause of the fire was ruled an accident. Operations at the facility are suspended.

3/16/22 Nestle plant in Jonesboro, Arkansas (makes hot pockets). The cause of the fire was due to a welding accident according to Jonesboro Fire Chief Kevin Miller.

2/22/22 Shearer’s Foods Potato Chip plant in Oregon. The cause of the fire was due to a propane explosion in the boiler room.

2/15/22 Bonanza Meat Company in El Paso, Texas. According to the fire department, the building was vacant at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown.

2/3/22 Wisconsin River Meats in Madison, Wisconsin. The cause of the fire is unknown.

1/13/22 Cargill-Nutrena plant in Lecompte, Louisiana (Foodservice provider). The cause of the fire is unknown. Investigators allude that an explosion from a generator room might have been the culprit.

1/6/22 Unnamed poultry processing plant in Canada (sells poultry to both Canadian and US markets). Cause of fire is unknown

12/13/21 Food Processing plant in San Antonio, Texas. The Cause of  the fire was due to a freezer blockage.

11/29/21 Maid-Rite Steak Company in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The cause of the fire has been ruled accidental. Investigators pinpointed the fire to an electrical wall.

11/12/21 JVS USA beef processing plant in Grand Island, Nebraska. The cause of the fire was due to a heater located on the roof.

8/23/21 Patak Meat Products in Cobb County, Georgia. The cause of the fire has not been released.

7/31/21 Tyson River Valley Ingredients plant in Hanceville, Alabama. The cause of the fire has not been determined but is believed to have been caused by an industrial mixer.

7/25/21 Kellogg’s plant in Memphis, Tennessee. The cause of the fire was due to a malfunctioning conveyer belt that sparked a blaze in a rice dying machine.

4/30/21 Smothfield Foods pork processing plant in Monmouth, Illinois. The entire facility was burned down.