165,000 hens die, 2 barns destroyed in fire at Hickman’s Family Farms west of Phoenix

Two barns were destroyed and an estimated   165,000 hens died Saturday in a displace at the Hickman ‘s Family Farms location in Arlington, about an hour west of Phoenix, according to officials. Firefighters responded to a report of the ardor at the grow around 1 post meridiem and were able to contain the second-alarm fire by about 4 post meridiem, said Sarah Mendoza, a spokesperson for Buckeye Valley Fire District. An unidentified man   was hospitalized in stable condition for smoke inhalation, Mendoza said. No firefighters were injured.

Multiple burn agencies including Buckeye Fire Valley District, Arizona Fire and Medical Authority and the Maricopa County Sheriff ‘s Office responded to the fuel, Mendoza said. For more stories that matter,  subscribe to azcentral.com. A spokesperson for Hickman ‘s Family Farms said the fire started at Barn 5 and spread to Barn 6. Losses include the hens that died and equipment and supplies such as food, water, conveyer belt systems, watering systems, lighting and calculator engineering. “ It ‘s extremely inauspicious — it ‘s devastating to us, ” said Sharman Hickman, a spokesperson for Hickman ‘s Family Farms.   Hickman said that they are upset over the death of the hens but besides grateful no people died. “ Our colleagues were in there. We ’ ve all been working together for years. They stayed in and were working right along the firefighters because we know the lay of the land, ” Hickman said on Sunday. Among the people inside were her brother, nephews and conserve, she said.

Hickman said the man who was hospitalized is an employee and that they are not identifying him at this prison term. Hickman said the passing will not impact anyone buy eggs and that shelves will remain amply stocked from tomorrow through “ way past ” easter. The fuel on the Arlington farm, which has a entire of 26 chicken houses, was contained by Saturday good afternoon, according to Hickman. The class wo n’t know the cost of damage until the probe is complete, Hickman said. “ Of course we wanted those eggs to be able to have for families for their Easter celebrations, but first base and first we need to thank our first responders and staff that tried to do everything they could to save our birds, save each early, making certain everybody was ampere condom as possible, ” she said. next, Hickman said the farm will conduct cleaning and monitor the nearby barns to make surely the birds do n’t have any smoke price and to make indisputable there are no disruptions to the feed, urine or air out in the barns. Hickman said they will besides make counseling available to their staff.

On Sunday, Hickman said “ it ‘s a sum loss of equipment ” but that they have been focusing on tending to the birds in surrounding houses and on supporting employees. The cause of the fire is under probe, according to Mendoza. Hickman said that, to their cognition as of Sunday, an employee was cleaning the chicken houses on a skid tip when equipment malfunctioned and started a fire. Reach the reporter at Audrey.Jensen @ arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter at @ Audreyj101 .