The Gifford’s Ice Cream Plant in Skowhegan Was Damaged by Fire

No one was hurt when fire broke out at the Gifford's Ice Cream plant in Skowhegan on Thursday morning.

How Bad Was the Fire?

The fire started at around 9:30 in the processing room of the plant. According to a post on the company's Facebook page, the Skowhegan Fire Department was able to extinguish the blaze within an hour with no injuries reported. Investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office will likely be looking into the cause of the fire.

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How Long Has Gifford's Been in Business?

Gifford's is a local company that began with a family dairy farm in the late 1800's. They've been selling ice cream to Maine families since 1980 and, according to the company website, over a million cones are served each year from their 5 family-owned and operated ice cream stands. The fact that this fire broke out in the off-season for those locations doesn't mean the plant is idle, however, with more than 2 million gallons of ice cream sold in grocery stores, independent ice cream shops, colleges, universities, and restaurants.

Could This Fire Be Inspiration for a New Flavor?

We're glad no one was hurt in the plant fire and we can't help but wonder if this will be the inspiration for a new flavor. Maybe some s'mores or toasted coconut? Or perhaps a little smokey bacon flavor. Okay, now I'm hungry. I think I have some Gifford's black raspberry (my favorite) in the fridge.