Fire breaks out at mushroom farm east of Edmonton

Firefighters responded to a blaze Tuesday morning at a mushroom farm east of Edmonton in Strathcona County.

The fire broke out at Signature Mushrooms on Range Road 215 near Township Road 530, east of Ardrossan and south of Highway 16.

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Flames and smoke could be seen coming from what appeared to be a collapsed building on the property, but it wasn’t clear what exactly caught fire. Firefighters could be seen working on the fire around 8 a.m.

A Strathcona County spokesperson said a firefighter was taken to hospital as a precaution and was released the same day.

READ MORE: Crews respond to fire at farm in Parkland County; no injuries reported

The farm grows white, crimini (brown), and portabella mushrooms that are supplied to grocery stores and restaurants across Western Canada.

According to its website, the farm has been owned by Signature Mushrooms since 2014, but has been operating in the area since 1974 and is one of two mushroom farms in Alberta.

The company says it has 40 employees.