Fire broke out late Saturday afternoon at JBS Packerland off Allentown Road in Franconia.

That’s the former MOPAC meat-packing plant.

A maintenance worker reported the fire shortly before 4:30 in the “A” to “D” section of the plant, and firefighters had it contained after about an hour.  The Souderton, Hatfield and Harleysville Volunteer Fire Companies used aerial devices to attack the fire from above.  

It apparently broke out in an electrical transformer on the roof, but the cause is under investigation.  The cost of the damage is estimated at more than $500,000.