Investigators: Leesburg packinghouse fire cause undetermined

Jan. 28--Investigators are unable to determine a cause for a two-alarm blaze that destroyed an old citrus packinghouse in Leesburg earlier this month, a State Fire Marshal's Office official said.

While a report has yet to be filed, Detective Nick Incontrera said he's going to list the fire as "undetermined" as opposed to intentional or accidental.

"The investigation is done at this point," Incontrera said. "Sometimes it just adds up that way where you can't determine a cause."

The fire broke out the night of Jan. 16, sending flames skyward. Firefighters were able to douse the fire after battling it for about two hours. Leesburg and county fire departments kept the fire blaze from 50,000 gallons of fuel that were located on the property.

Investigators brought accelerant-sniffing dogs to the property days later, however none were detected.

"It was a great packinghouse," said B.G. Floyd, its owner. "You could run that packinghouse with four people."

In its heyday, the packinghouse was critical to the business of Lake County Citrus Sales, which produced 250,000 to 300,000 boxes of citrus each year. Inside the building, tangerines were washed, waxed, packed and shipped to customers across the continent.

Now, the property is used for Floyd's fuel company.

Over the years the packinghouse had been hit with seven code violations and the power had been shut off to the building.

Floyd said he didn't have insurance on the building and estimated the damages will surpass $60,000.

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