One day after blaze destroys Raber Packing Co., cause remains unknown

Nov. 10--WEST PEORIA -- The cause of the blaze remained officially undetermined on Friday, hours after it destroyed a Peoria-area institution just as the busiest season for its business began.

Fire naturally could have spread from the boiler or massive meat smoking operation at Raber Packing Co. just off Farmington Road and just beyond West Peoria's village limits, but company president Buddy Courdt told the Journal Star that flames did not appear to originate from those areas when he arrived to witness the firefighting operation Thursday night.

Limestone Fire Protection District Chief Larry Gilmore said an official cause would be difficult to determine with the extensive damage and multiple possible points of ignition in the 60-plus-year-old structure. Inventory on hand in the business -- meat and grease -- ultimately fed the flames.

Courdt said the shop was stocked with 12,000 pounds of product, including 2,000 pounds of bacon.

Forty mostly full-time employees at the family-owned business smoke up to 100 turkeys or hams per day in the run-up to Thanksgiving, and hunters deliver deer to the shop during the fall hunting season to be processed.

A GoFundMe account was established online Friday to assist those workers as the business recovers. It raised more than $10,000 in the first 10 hours.

"This campaign will be divided up between the employees to offset the loss of income they will suffer until the building is rebuilt," the account read. "Please help support the employees who work so hard to provide us quality meats at a great price."

Courdt told the Journal Star he plans to rebuild but will have to explore all options once financial and insurance matters become more clear.

Matt Buedel can be reached at 686-3154 or mbuedel@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @JournoBuedel.

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