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Google PlayAs many as 100,000 chickens are estimated to have perished in a Connecticut fire, marking a number that’s particularly alarming as the U.S. continues to see rising egg prices.
As detailed in a regional report from WFSB over the weekend, the blaze took place at Hillandale Farms in Bozrah on Saturday, ultimately growing into a three-alarm fire that required the assistance of a slew of local agencies.
While no human injuries were reported in connection with the fire, local Salvation Army chapter has been cited as estimating that 100,000 chickens could have died. More specifically, Saturday’s initial report cited various officials as confirming the loss of one coop on the property. Meanwhile, 13 additional coops were said at the time to have been saved from destruction.
When reached for comment by Complex on Monday, a rep for the Bozrah Volunteer Fire Company shared a statement from the desk of Deputy Chief Jeremy Tarasevich. In it, the department confirmed it had initially been dispatched to the scene at 1:08 p.m. local time on Saturday. The fire was “brought under control” after roughly four and a half hours thanks to the help of 16 surrounding departments, with more than 100 individual firefighters ultimately taking part in the operation.
According to the department, the fire remains under investigation by the Bozrah Fire Marshal.
Complex has reached out to a Salvation Army rep for additional comment. This story may be updated.
As you’ve likely noticed during your own grocery excursions in recent weeks, the price of eggs here in the States has been a cause of concern and frustration for some time now. CNBC reported last week that average prices “across all egg types” spiked 60 percent in 2022.
And while much attention has been given to avian flu’s impact, as well as other argued reasons for this cost increase, Farm Action (an advocacy network) said in a recent letter to the Federal Trade Commission that the issue should be made the subject of an investigation. As the letter argues, the “real culprit” here is what they describe as “a collusive scheme among industry leaders to turn inflationary conditions and an avian flu outbreak into an opportunity to extract egregious profits.”
