A fire overnight at Gortmore Mushrooms in Drumraney, Co Westmeath, has put the farmer out of business after half of the tunnels plus computerised equipment and wiring were destroyed.
A neighbour raised the alarm around 2am as the fire spread to the tunnels and associated services. Firefighters from Athlone, Ballymahon and Mullingar put out the blaze, but half of the tunnels as well as computerised equipment and wiring were destroyed, the farmer told the Irish Farmers Journal.
"The farm is out of action," he added. "It was a lifetime of investment and hard work." The latest equipment was installed in a 2011 expansion to the business.
Fires are very uncommon on mushroom farms and Gortmore Mushrooms was not insured for this risk, leaving its future uncertain.
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