NEW HAVEN, Mo. — Firefighters will be battling a fire for days after it started burning at a Blues Hog BBQ Sauce storage facility in New Haven, officials told 5 On Your Side Thursday.
New Haven-Berger Fire Protection District Deputy Chief said the facility in the 500 block of Orchard Street caught fire at around 5 a.m. Thursday. Crews reportedly got the call and were there within five minutes. The district was soon joined by four other fire departments to extinguish the blaze.
No injuries were reported and a cause has yet to be determined.
Officials said the fire would burn for multiple days because of the large amount of charcoal stored inside the facility. Firefighters are attempting to remove some of the flammable material, but the rest will have to burn.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources was also on the scene to monitor runoff and potential air quality issues.
Blues Hog is owned by Missouri Pit Master Tim Scheer, also known as the "tallest man in BBQ" standing at 6 feet 7 inches, who has over 35 Grand Champion Titles and more than 40 Reserve Grand Championship Titles, according to the company's website. He was most recently crowned as the Overall World Champion and Whole Hog World Champion at the 2022 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
Scheer was born and raised on a hog farm in New Haven and bought Blues Hog from the company's original owner Bill Arnold in 2015. The company's main office is located in Washington, Missouri.
“It’s an unfortunate circumstance but we’re glad no one was injured," Scheer told 5 On Your Side. "Our warehouse in New Haven is used for excess storage and we are very thankful for our local firefighters' quick response to limit the damage and protect the surrounding businesses.”
