Fire at Pactiv packaging facility in Macon, Georgia ruled accidental; no injuries reported

Macon-Bibb County firefighters spent several hours battling a blaze at the Pactiv Corporation manufacturing facility on Airport Drive in Macon, Georgia, after smoke was reported from the building on Monday afternoon, 8 December. Crews arrived at around 2:43 p.m. to find smoke showing from the exterior and advanced multiple attack lines into the structure, locating the seat of the fire in large piles of “egg crate-type” product inside the plant.​

According to Lead Fire Investigator Captain Kyle Murray, the density and configuration of the stacked packaging material made the fire difficult to extinguish, forcing firefighters to work for hours to fully knock down remaining hot spots. Despite the heavy fire load, the incident resulted in no injuries to employees or responders, and the building was ultimately saved, although the extent of interior damage has not yet been disclosed.​​

Investigators have determined the cause of the fire to be accidental, originating within the manufacturing process for the molded-fibre egg packaging produced at the site. The Macon facility, which has previously experienced serious fire incidents linked to similar products, supplies egg packaging and related foodservice items as part of Pactiv Evergreen’s broader molded-fibre packaging portfolio.​