Fire Causes ‘Substantial’ Damage to London, Ontario Chicken-Processing Plant

Firefighters in London, Ontario responded to an early morning fire Monday at a chicken processing plant in an east London industrial park.

Fire crews rushed to the Cargill plant located at 10 Cuddy Blvd. just before 5:30 a.m. after maintenance staff noticed smoke in the building.

The blaze caused “substantial” damage to a portion of the Cargill poultry-processing plant in east London, fire officials say.

Structure fire at 10 Cuddy Blvd, crews have knocked it down and are in the process of overhaul. Upon arrival heavy fire and smoke conditions that crews were able to knock down and gain access to extinguish the fire. #LdnOnt@LdnOntFire pic.twitter.com/EAjKtZ3o8x

— London Fire Department (@LdnOntFire) May 23, 2022

Another one. It’s interesting how all the buildings and structures that “accidentally” burn, are the least likely to actually burn. Burning food, documents, history….https://t.co/bFDNkL0rm3

— Trena Thompson (@UniqueChicka333) May 27, 2022

CBC reported:

After arriving, firefighters had to contend with heavy smoke that was contained to one section of the building. Firefighters used an aerial ladder hose to attack the fire from above.

“There was heavy flames and heavy smoke upon arrival and initially they went into defensive mode to knock down the fire,” Platoon Chief Kirk Loveland told CBC News. “We were then able to gain entry into the building and extinguish the fire. And it was contained to one area of the building.”

There were no injuries. Loveland said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, crews were clearing smoke from the building.

“They’re ventilating the building to determine the cause,” he said.

The London Free Press added:

Despite the conditions, crews managed to knock down the blaze quickly and contain it to one area of the building, Loveland said.

No one was hurt in the plant, which was shut down for the most part due to the Victoria Day holiday  long weekend, Loveland added.

“There weren’t a lot of people on the site, only a skeleton staff,” he said. “They’re all accounted for, and they were the ones that identified the fire and called it in.”

Cargill employs more than 700 production workers at its London plant, and more than 900 in total.

It processes about 100,000 chickens a day and supplies chicken for fast-food giant McDonald’s.