Large fire guts headquarters at Webb’s Honey in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A large fire gutted the headquarters of an Orange County honey farm on Wednesday.

The fire broke out around 7 a.m. at Webb’s Honey at 21777 State Road 520 near Wedgefield, south of Christmas.

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Callers reported seeing a column of black smoke coming from the building, and Orange County Fire Rescue said flames were shooting through the roof of a 4,500-square-foot building when crews arrived at the property.

David Webb, owner of the honey farm, described the building as the operation’s headquarters, where honey is processed, packed and bottled.

Officials said the nearest hydrant was a mile away, making it difficult to immediately extinguish the fire.

No one was injured in the fire, but officials estimated that 40% of the building was destroyed in the blaze.

About 1,000 hives are located across the property, according to Webb. Fire officials said “observation bees” were in the front of the building, but it is unknown if they survived. Several hives in the back of the building were not damaged.

Hours after the fire was extinguished, crews were still putting out “hot spots,” officials said.

It is not known what sparked the fire as the business was closed for the holiday weekend. A state fire marshal will investigate the cause.

Webb said five families depend on the family-run operation.

The honey farm later issued a statement on Facebook.

“Many of you have already heard we suffered a pretty bad fire this morning. Luckily, no one was inside. We will try to get back to selling honey as soon as possible. Thank you for bearing with us during this difficult time. We will take all of the good vibes and prayers we can get,” the post stated.

According to the honey farm’s website, “Webb’s Honey provides pure and unfiltered honey to retail and wholesale customers. Our honey is local to the Central Florida area. We have about one thousand hives that we move around the state in order to make different honey crops throughout the year. The majority of our honey is made by our hives, along with a few other trusted local beekeepers.”