Authorities were alerted to the fire at Farina Farms Inc. Poultry Farm around 6:30 p.m., Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps told local media outlets including Fox 2 and KSDK. Over 15 fire departments were dispatched to the area where at least three buildings were engulfed in flames that reached between 13,000 and 15,000 feet high.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Department.
The Beckemeyer Volunteer Fire Department from Clinton County, one of the units to dispatch to the scene, posted to Facebook after returning from fighting the fire around 4:30 a.m. in the morning. The Beckemeyer department contributed 30,000 gallons of water to help put out the fire in Marion County, 43 miles away from their jurisdiction.
"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 post reads.
Comment: Footage:
"Hats off to everyone involved especially those volunteering. Should make for a long day at work today for most of us."
The fire was fully extinguished by Thursday morning, and there are no injures, but the 1.2-million-chicken farm is likely a total loss, local outlets WNOI and WJBD reported.
According to employees of Farina Farms Inc., a Wabash Valley Produce complex, the buildings were vacant when the fire started and took off.
Data from WATT Global Media's 2024 Top Egg Company Survey show Wabash Valley Produce as the 24th largest egg producer in the U.S. with locations in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.
Comment: Notably, today: Mystery fires and explosions across Europe may be 'Russian sabotage', Western leaders claim, despite having no evidence
And what with bird flu allegedly making the rounds, the collapse of farming, and the shut down of numerous food processing plants, food prices are likely to soar ever higher, and food shortages are almost inevitable: