WORCESTER, Mass. (WHDH) — Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a family business in Worcester.
Gibson’s Dairy, a fourth-generation family business, burned before its owners eyes.
“The milk has turned to butter. It must have boiled in the bottles,” said Fran Gibson, the owner of Gibson’s Dairy.
Gibson’s Dairy is nearly a century old. The Worcester operation still runs a lot like it used to.
“Home delivery, glass bottles still, a lot of local products from local farms,” said Gibson.
There is even an old-fashioned ice cream stand, which was the only thing spared in the fire.
“We lost a lot there — we lost the entire building. We lost the trucks, a lot of equipment,” said Gibson.
Firefighters could save much of Gibson’s Dairy. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause.
“We have fire investigators actually digging through the rubble at this point in time, trying to find the point of origin and possible cause,” said Dep. Chief Geoffrey Gardell of the Worcester fire department.
Most of Gibson’s Dairy’s deliver trucks were ruined, but two remained untouched. Hours after the fire the business made its deliveries after stocking up on fresh supplies.
“We were running five or six hours late, but we were able to get product back in from the farms and get stuff done,” said Gibson.
The family business is determined to get back on its feet.
“We’ve been here 90 years, we want to make at least a hundred,” said Gibson.
The ice cream shop was closed Wednesday, but the owner said it will reopen on Thursday.
When the fire broke out on Tuesday night there were six dumpster fires in the area. Officials said the fire at Gibson’s Dairy is not connected to the dumpster fires.