A massive fire broke out at a large poultry farm in southern Illinois, killing millions of chickens.
The blaze started in the evening at the Wabash Valley Produce Farm, a 60-year-old family-owned company that is one of the top 25 egg producers in the US.
“Fortunately, everyone is ok but millions of cage-free eggs and birds are gone with this disaster,” Illinois State Rep. Blaine Wilhour said. “I have spoken to the people on the ground and the first responders are doing all they can so please avoid the area.”
Over two dozen fire departments responded and used nearly 30,000 gallons of water but still watched multiple buildings burn in the powerful inferno, which was detected by radar rising up to 15,000 feet.
While there were no human injuries reported, the scale of the farm operation and efforts to control the flames that reignited the next day were immense.
It was “a devastating fire,” Jared Nelson Trucking LLC stated. “These pictures show a little glimpse of the magnitude of these flames,” the company said.
Investigations are ongoing into the devastation caused by the fire at this large egg production facility in rural Illinois.
“It’s hard to explain the sheer size of this operation and all the moving parts and straight dedication that went into bringing this fire under control,” the Beckemeyer Volunteer Fire Department said.
