Tens of thousands of chickens die in egg farm fire
LEBANON, Conn. --Thousands of chickens have died in a fire at a coop in Connecticut that belongs to a major egg producer.
The Hartford Courant reports at least 80,000 chickens were killed in the blaze Tuesday at Kofkoff Egg Farms in Lebanon.
No farm workers or firefighters were hurt.
The company has operations in Bozrah, Colchester, Franklin and Lebanon, and is the largest egg producer in New England.
More than 150 firefighters from 25 fire departments responded, reports CBS Hartford affiliate WFSB-TV. Water tank crews shuttled water to help put out the flames.
Eyewitnesses told the station they could see smoke miles away.
"[There was] black billowing smoke in the sky and I knew it was massive. And I was probably at least 8 miles from the scene," said Robert Potter.
The fire's cause wasn't immediately clear.
The Courant reports the farm has millions of birds producing eggs, and a fire there in 1989 killed 216,000 chickens.