Firefighter injured, flocks killed in massive fire at Iowa egg farm
By KCCI staff
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HANCOCK COUNTY, Iowa (KCCI) — Officials at an egg farm in northern Iowa say one firefighter was injured in a massive fire last night.
“Our Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm experienced a devastating fire last night, and we are still assessing the scale of the damage,” according to a statement from the company. “While no employees were harmed, our prayers are with the firefighter who was injured during the response to the fire. We are keeping him and his loved ones close in our thoughts.”
The condition of the injured firefighter has not been made public.
Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm is located near Corwith in Hancock County. It’s unclear how many birds died in the fire, but the company’s statement went on to say “several flocks were lost.”
“We are saddened that, despite our team’s work and the brave and tireless efforts of multiple fire departments, several flocks were lost to the fire,” the statement said. “We are grateful for the swift and ongoing actions by first responders and our farm employees, who helped keep our team safe and prevented the spread of the fire to additional hens.”
The Belmond Fire Department shared photos of the fire March 26-27, 2026, at Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm near Corwith, Iowa.Iowa fire department shares photos of massive fire at northern Iowa egg farm Local fire crews first responded to the fire around 6 p.m. Thursday and, as of 11 a.m. Friday, were still on the scene as the fire continued to burn.
“The massive size of these buildings made it difficult to contain, and soon spread into adjacent buildings,” according to a Facebook post by the Belmond Fire Department. “The decision was later made that all buildings south of the origin of fire, were unsavable due to multiple factors. Fire crews continued to work on extinguishing the original fire building as to keep it from spreading further to the north. As of this morning (3/27), the fire buildings to the south are still flaming. Area crews remain on scene with excavators working to remove debris and gain better access to the areas still on fire.”
Officials with the Belmond Fire Department say the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Rollie Jensen shared photos and video with KCCI that he says he took at Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm near Corwith. They show that the fire started before it got dark outside.
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