COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 24 (UPI) -- An overnight fire destroyed a huge warehouse and killed some of the 3 million chickens at an egg farm northwest of Columbus, Ohio, firefighters said.
No one was hurt in the fire that engulfed the warehouse that housed refrigerated eggs, egg cartons, packing materials and wooden pallets, The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday.
Firefighters had to shut off electricity to the buildings and rip away walkways that led from the warehouse to nine chicken barns, Marseilles Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Dickinson said. The lack of electricity appears to have caused some chickens in at least two buildings to die, he said.
The Dispatch reported the blaze could be seen burning Wednesday at the facility in Harpster, about 55 miles from the Ohio capital.
Officials did not indicate what caused the fire. The state fire marshal's office was at the scene and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has been called.
