Fire Crews Make Progress on Apple Growers Blaze

Firefighters today are using another approach to battling a stubborn four-alarm blaze that has gutted a Watsonville warehouse, a fire department spokeswoman said.

Crews have confined the blaze to one building and today are using foam to attack the flames still smoldering at Apple Growers Ice and Cold Storage Co., said Rosa Meyer, a spokeswoman for the Watsonville Fire Department.

The foam is being applied from fire trucks, Meyer said.

Fire agencies from Alameda and Santa Clara counties are providing additional foam and assisting with the fire, she said.

Firefighters are still unable to get inside the building, which Meyer said is "pretty much lost."

The warehouse was built in 1928 and is located at 850 West Beach St.

A damage estimate has not yet been determined.

S. Martinelli & Company, the maker of Martinelli's apple juices and ciders and one of many companies that used the warehouse, managed to salvage half of its merchandise, worth anywhere from $4 million to $5 million, by using a forklift.

Meyer said it might take another couple of days to completely extinguish the fire, which started around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

She said there is still heavy smoke in the area and advised nearby residents with respiratory problems to remain indoors.

No injuries have been reported.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.