Ventura, Calif., sues mushroom farm over fire
Nov 4, 2013, 6:52 PM
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) – The city and county of Ventura, Calif., plan to sue one of the country’s largest mushroom farms to try to recoup costs from fighting a stubborn compost fire there last month.
The Ventura County Star reports (
http://bit.ly/HCro2v) the lawsuit will seek more than $200,000 from California Mushroom Farm Inc., which ceased operations in September.
Officials say the nearly 30-acre farm didn’t properly maintain its compost piles after it shut down, causing them to combust spontaneously Oct. 16.
It took crews five days to extinguish the blaze.
The Ventura City Council voted 6-0 last week to sue.
A call Monday from The Associated Press seeking comment from the farm wasn’t immediately returned.
California Mushroom Farm is the third-largest of its kind in the country. It’s scheduled to be sold at auction.
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Information from: Ventura County Star,
http://venturacountystar.com
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