Massive fire breaks out at Illinois farm housing over 1 million chickens

A poultry farm in southern Illinois housing at least 1 million chickens caught fire Wednesday night killing mass amounts of poultry and causing significant property damage, reports say.

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.

“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.