Government Surplus Food Destroyed in Fire
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MADISON, Wis. — A fire in a storage complex destroyed millions of pounds of government surplus butter and cheese and other food and forced the evacuation of 3,000 people, officials said.
Residents were evacuated after the blaze, which broke out Friday, threatened a building that contained explosive chemicals, fire officials said. They were later allowed to return to their homes.
The blaze was under control Saturday, although two buildings continued to burn. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Firefighters hauled truckloads of sand to contain melted butter and lard that mixed with water from fire hoses as it streamed from the buildings.
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