Millions of Chickens Killed in IL 5-Alarm Fire

Food Supply

A massive fire broke out at Farina Farms Inc. in Marion County, Illinois, on Wednesday night, resulting in the deaths of millions of chickens.

The farm is one of the largest free-range egg facilities in the country.

The fire, which began around 6:30 p.m. along Highway 37, quickly escalated into a 5-alarm fire, requiring the intervention of at least 20 different fire departments from surrounding areas, according to WAND TV.

Described as “humongous” by Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps, the fire engulfed multiple buildings spanning 200-300 yards in length.

The smoke was so dense that it was visible on FOX 2’s Power Doppler radar, reaching altitudes between 13,000 and 15,000 feet and could be seen for miles around, WGN9 reported.

“The fire at the Chicken Farm south of Farina is so hot it is actually producing a rare type of cloud over it. It’s called a “pyrocumulus cloud.” They form over large fires (typically wildfires) due to the intense, upward vertical motion of air cooling and condensing as it moves higher into the sky,” Meteorologist Jacob Dickey wrote on Facebook.

“If fires burn hot enough, they can create clouds that produce lighting and rain, called pyrocumulonimbus clouds. That probably isn’t the case in Farina, but the fire is being spotted on radar between 12,000 to 15,000 feet high!” he added.

The Beckemeyer Volunteer Fire Department alone transported nearly 30,000 gallons of water over a distance of 45 miles to assist in the firefighting efforts, according to Chief Luke Baker.

“You can imagine the amount of water and manpower that was being used,” Baker commented. “Requests like this are made by MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) to bring resources in from different areas so as not to deplete a whole county’s fire departments in one place. All in all, it was a massive effort by these first responders to bring it under control.”

The cause of the fire remained unknown. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the impact on the local economy and food supply is expected to be significant.

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