Skowhegan Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Johnston
First responders block off 25 Hathaway St. in Skowhegan, where a fire broke out at Gifford's.
February 3, 2023
Fire at Gifford's ice cream facility in Skowhegan under investigation
File / Skowhegan Fire Department
Skowhegan firefighters on the scene after a fire at the Gifford's Ice Cream plant in Skowhegan on Feb. 2, 2023.
A fire that damaged production equipment at Gifford's ice cream manufacturing plant in Skowhegan on Thursday remains under investigation by the state Fire Marshal's office.
The 36 people inside the premises escaped uninjured, according to Lauren Healy of Gifford's public relations firm Ethos.
A post on Gifford's social media platforms stated that the fire started around 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the processing room on Hathaway Street, "but the fire department was able to contain and extinguish the fire within the hour."
Skowhegan Fire Chief Ronnie Rodriguez told Mainebiz that the department initially responded to Gifford's for a call about a freezer fire. "It was obviously more than that," said Rodriguez. "Their production equipment had the most damage, and the building has smoke damage.
"They are going to need to do work before they can get back in there."
Rodriguez said his department isn't sure how the blaze started, but the matter has been turned over to the fire marshal's office.
Gifford's Ice Cream is a fifth-generation, family-owned company that operates retail stands in Bangor, Farmington, Skowhegan and Waterville.
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