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WORTH COUNTY, GA --
A fire at Worth Gin Company in Worth County has multiple agencies on scene.

Sylvester and Poulan fire departments have been joined by Worth County Fire Rescue at the gin.

Sylvester Fire officials say they were called to the fire around 2:30 PM after a worker found cotton seed on fire.

No injuries were reported and the fire damage was contained to a singular building with the cotton seed.

Worth Gin Company officials added that 2,200 tons of seed was inside the facility when it caught fire. Over $500,000 dollars worth of seed could have been destroyed.

Gilbert Haskins, the owner of the company, says he spoke with his insurance company and they plan to come out Monday to estimate the cost of the damage. He says hopefully a good amount of the seed can be salvaged.

Fire officials say every few years they have this type of fire at a cotton gin because of the moisture inside the seed.

“It’s nothing out of the ordinary. A lot of times, if cotton seed gets damp when you pack them or they have a little bit of moisture, they’ll have what you would call a heat. They’ll have combustion and ignite,” said Cpt. John Graddy, Sylvester Fire Department.

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