UPDATE (Friday, Jan. 26) - The J. Lohr Family released the following statement Friday regarding the fire:
"On behalf of the J. Lohr Family, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of the first responders who helped contain a fire at our Paso Robles Facility yesterday evening. Although agricultural equipment was lost, most importantly no one was injured. We are thankful for the outpouring of support from the local community and our fellow vintners and growers."
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UPDATE (9:18 p.m.) - One structure and an unspecified number of heavy equipment were destroyed in a commercial fire in Paso Robles Thursday evening.
Multiple departments responded to a commercial structure fire in the 6000 block of Airport Road in Paso Robles.
Cal Fire SLO spokesperson Toni Davis said an outbuilding and "heavy equipment" were destroyed in the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation.
A spokesperson for J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines confirmed in a press release Friday the fire was on company property.
Davis said the fire was contained at 7:50 p.m.
KSBY spoke with a witness who described a chaotic scene.
"It first just sounded like really large gunshots going off and there were no flames and then there started being just like bursts of flames coming up in the air," said Amy Sheller, who is a neighbor of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines.
"Then there was a giant fireball with a really big boom, and then a flame, the flame shot above the tree line and then just kept going," Sheller continued. "And it was very traumatic, it was very scary.“
Cal Fire SLO, Paso Robles Fire Department, Atascadero Fire Department, San Miguel Fire Department and Templeton Fire Department responded to the scene.
Cal Fire SLO said in a post on X, previously Twitter, that firefighters will remain on scene for the next "couple of hours."
COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FIRE: At 6:31 PM Firefighters & #VineyardIC responded to a structure fire near the 6000 block of Airport Rd in rural Paso Robles CA. Fire has been contained to one outbuilding as of 7:50 PM. 🧵continued in comments. pic.twitter.com/QTd2N8PWHk
— CAL FIRE SLO (@CALFIRE_SLO) January 26, 2024
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(7:38 p.m.) - CAL FIRE SLO is responding to reports of a commercial building fire in Paso Robles.
The call came in at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday along the 6100 block of Airport Road.
According to reports from CHP, assisting with the call, the fire is located on J Lohr Vineyards and Wines property.
Fire crews are making their way to the scene.
KSBY also has a crew heading to the scene and this article will be updated once more information becomes available.