Fire tears through onion-packing plant; no one is injured

An onion-packing plant in western New York has been ravaged by a fire.

No one was injured in the fire Thursday morning at Big O Farms in Elba, about 50 miles east of Niagara Falls.

Genesee (JEN'-uh-see) County Emergency Services coordinator Tim Yaeger says a nearby deer hunter spotted smoke at the farm and alerted authorities.

Firefighters from multiple counties battled the flames. A column of smoke gushed from the warehouse-like building.

Yaeger says getting water on the fire was a challenge, with only one hydrant in the area and no sprinklers in the building. He says the building wasn't required to have them.

A company phone rang unanswered Thursday night.

Officials are investigating the cause of the blaze.