Fire at Coachella packing plant still burning 12 hours later

A fire that broke out Thursday morning at a vegetable packing plant in Coachella continued more than 12 hours later, although firefighters hoped to put it out by midnight.

Seven firefighters were injured while battling the blaze, four of whom were taken to hospitals, Cal Fire spokeswoman Maggie Cline Delarosa said. None of the injuries appear to be serious.

The fire, which caused a large plume of smoke in the air, broke out around 6:25 a.m. at a 50,000-square-foot factory on Grapefruit Boulevard, southeast of the intersection with Grapefruit Avenue. 50, Cal Fire said. The first firefighters to arrive reported seeing cardboard boxes on fire, with the flames apparently spreading from there to the building.