Investigators are expected to sift through the remnants of a Scotland County meat processing plant over the next few days to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed the facility.

No one was reported injured in the blaze that burned for more than six hours at the House of Raeford.

Nearly 125 firefighters from 12 fire agencies responded to the fire at the plant at 21501 Charles Craft Lane, Maxton, according to Lt. Randy Gibson, Laurinburg Fire Department.

Sixteen of the plant's 60 second shift employees were inside when the plant caught fire, Gibson said. All made it out to safety.

The blaze at the 61,000 square foot facility was reported at 11:15 p.m. on Thursday, Gibson said. The Laurinburg firefighter was among the first to arrive.

He said the building was engulfed in flames, with more than 50 percent of the building involved and flames shooting through the roof.

"It made it difficult to go offensive on the fire because of the stage it was in."

The flames weren't the only hazards for firefighters.

"While we were on the scene, we experienced several small explosions," Gibson said. "We also had a hazardous material incident occur there with ammonia."

The Fayetteville Fire Department, which acts as the regional hazardous materials response team, determined there was no environmental hazard from ammonia tanks inside the plant.

The fire was contained by 5:30 a.m. on Friday and firefighters stayed on the scene until 8:15.

Damage to the plant was estimated at $1.25 million, and about $750,000 worth of contents were lost, according to Gibson.

Sheriff Shep Jones said Friday morning that deputies plan to investigate the matter with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"It's a mess – it's totally destroyed," Jones said.

David Witter, a House of Raeford spokesman, said the company is deciding how to respond to the closure of one of its eight plants.

"Obviously it is devastating for something of this magnitude to take place," Witter said. "Right now, it is too preliminary for us to know what the next step is."

Employees of the plant "will receive their ordinary pay during the period when the plant is shut down," Witter said.

He expects the company will know in the coming weeks if it will open a new facility in Scotland County, adding that many factors will come into play, including any insurance pay-out and economical factors.

"It will not be an overnight decision," Witter said.

In the four years that House of Raeford operated the plant, the facility has had a good safety record, according to Witter.

"As far as I known, there has never been a fire there," he said.

The Laurinburg Fire Department confirmed that this is the first fire the company has reported at this facility.

The Maxton facility, opened by House of Raeford in 2006, employs 60 people. The plant processes chicken for use in hot dogs, sausages, luncheon meats and snack foods. Live chickens are not housed at the facility.

House of Raeford Farms, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest poultry processors, providing chicken and turkey products to the foodservice, retail and export markets. The company is family-owned and operated and based out of Rose Hill, with additional facilities in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina.