After 87,000 turkeys exploded in fire, Greenberg shuts down for holiday season

[TexasTowelie]

Greenberg Smoked Turkey, Inc. in Tyler, Texas, will halt all of its smoked turkey production for the rest of 2020 after a fire and at least two explosions destroyed part of the facility on Nov. 6.

The company sells about 200,000 smoked turkeys every holiday season. The Greenberg family has grown the 82-year-old smoked-bird business into a “holiday obsession,” The Dallas Morning News wrote in 1998. The famous East Texas turkey landed on Oprah Winfrey’s “Favorite Things” list in 2003.

Owner Sam Greenberg, the grandson of the founder by the same name, says a mechanical failure started a fire in one of the company facilities on Nov. 6. A freezer holding 87,000 turkeys exploded and burned the boxes and bags nearby, which are used to ship hundreds of thousands of turkeys during the company’s busiest season.

No one was hurt. A team of 24 firefighters fought the blaze and its aftermath for nearly two days, says Paul Findley, Tyler fire marshal and public information officer.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/food/restaurant-news/2020/11/09/after-87000-turkeys-exploded-in-fire-greenberg-shuts-down-for-holiday-season/

Does anybody want their turkey well done?

[TygrBright]

1. There's an "As God is my witness, I thought they could [your punchline here]" joke there... n/t

[TexasTowelie]

4. Okay, so I'm the straight man that provided the setup for the punchline. nt

[underpants]

9. I was reading this just whirling jokes thru my head

thinking - that’s horrible of you to think that. Glad I’m not the only one.

Hey the turkeys were already dead. Smoked. And then BLAMMO!

I wonder if the fire fighters got some remnants

[bdtrppr6]

12. ..."Blow up real good"

?t=131

and how the hell does a freezer explode? weird

[CincyDem]

2. Oh the humanity...

I know, it's a little early but this story demands it !

[elleng]

3. Got one of their turkeys years ago,

briefly thought of doing it again this year but received e.mail from them this morning.

[TexasTowelie]

6. There is always 2021.

Gobble, gobble.

[tanyev]

5. Maybe that's why I haven't seen smoked turkey breasts in the grocery store yet.

Hmm.

[TexasTowelie]

7. Yeah, I only report the IMPORTANT news.

[Bayard]

8. Oh thank goodness!

I thought this was going to be a story about live turkeys exploding.

[underpants]

10. That photo on the link. I swear I thought it was a Turkey rocketing into the night sky

It’s the fire department or a helicopter I’d guess but I really thought for a second.....🚀

[Tess49]

11. HAHA!

[BrightKnight]

13. It is a very bad time for a lot of people to loose their jobs.

[kurtcagle]

14. Seems to me to be a case of murder most fowl.

nt

[Paladin]

15. Sorry for the loss and damage....

...but I think Greenberg turkeys are way too damn smoky. And I say that as somebody who's been enjoying Texas barbeque my entire long adult life. Oprah and I will have to respectfully disagree on this one.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. Holy Cow! Hadn't heard this. Yikes