Othón P. Blanco, Q.R. — Sugar cane workers were forced out of their building Wednesday due to thick smoke. Employees at the San Rafael de Pucté sugar mill in the community of Javier Rojo Gómez were forced out due to an evening fire.
Firemen were called to the sugar unloading area at the San Rafael de Pucté sugar mill around 7:00 p.m. when smoke turned to flames. Firemen were at the scene for around an hour trying to extinguish the stubborn fire.
According available information, the fire resulted from an electrical failure in the system used at the bottom of the ramp to unload trucks. Electrical installations dating back years, combined with high temperatures, appear to have caused it.
The fire took a while to control due to the combustible material generated by the sugarcane. The fire continued to burn and spread due to the mass presence of dry bagasse.
After more than an hour, the fire was deemed fully extinguished. Civil Protection personnel confirmed an electrical fault. Paramedics from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) responded to the scene as per protocol but were not needed.
