Fire damages brooklyn bottling plant

The bottling plant of a large independent U.S. beverage and food company was damaged and temporarily shut down by a four-alarm blaze, officials said Monday. The Brooklyn Bottling Group plant in Milton, N.Y., 80 miles north of New York City, sustained substantial damage to its manufacturing portion, Milton Fire Chief Steve Kneeter told Mid-Hudson News Network. All employees inside the plant got out safely. No one else was injured in the blaze, which more than 100 firefighters contained within 2 hours. The fire broke out Sunday night in the back area of the plant known as the "bulk department," where various drinks are mixed, fire officials said. The plant, which employs about 100 people, is temporarily closed, Kneeter told the Times Herald-Record of Middletown. The fire's cause was under investigation. Brooklyn Bottling, based in New York City, makes, distributes, imports and sells soft drinks, juices, food and household items in 23 U.S. states, mostly on the East Coast. It also offers teas and water. In addition, it has a division in Iberia foods, serving the U.S. Hispanic market.