Fire burned through the night and continues to burn at Kings County farm

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- In the South Valley, crews are still on the scene of a fire that has caused extensive damage to a facility that dehydrates walnuts. The building is still smoldering Friday afternoon hours after a huge fire started there Thursday night.

The broke out at Tos Farms, and the facilities specialize in dehydrating walnuts. The damage to the building was estimated at $2-million. The structure next to it was untouched.

"The good part is, the business owner is going to be able to continue his operation with the building that we saved. So it's not a total loss for him. This is their busy season of walnut harvesting right now," said Brandon Jones, Kings County Fire Marshall .

Kings County Fire crews monitored the flames Friday. It's not safe to go inside the damaged building, so they're letting the fire go.

Kings coUnty Fire Battalion Chief Chris Gerking said there are a lot of walnuts with oils inside them that still need to burn.

"Some fires the, easiest way to deal with it is to let them continue to burn those combustibles and when they're gone. Then go clean up after it."

This isn't the first fire at Tos Farms-- a two-alarm fire in the fall of 2003 also burned walnuts and caused extensive damage to some equipment.

For this fire, crews will eventually bring in more engines and begin mopping it up. They will be staying on-site until the fire no longer poses a threat to the adjacent building.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Fire officials estimate they will be here overnight and possibly into Saturday.