Area fire departments help extinguish Bloomfield blaze

BLOOMFIELD — Volunteer fire fighters from several area fire departments descended on Bloomfield Thursday to try and help contain a massive fire.

The fire erupted around 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the Michael’s Foods poultry plant two miles west of Bloomfield on Highway 84.

The fire was so intense that a National Weather Service satellite detected the heat from its orbit above the Earth.

One of the barns was destroyed and 400,000 chickens were killed, according to media reports.

According to a company news release, “all employees were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.”

The release went on to say that no determination has been made as of yet as to what might have started the fire.

An estimated $2.5 million in damages occurred because of the fire, company officials reported.

Multiple firetrucks hauled water from town to the plant, he said. Fire crews on scene included Bloomfield/Lindy, Creighton, Osmond, Crofton, Wausa and Plainview.

Tanker trucks from Central Valley Ag assisted in helping bring water to the scene.

Highway 84 near the facility was closed for awhile due to the fire.

Law enforcement also responded to help direct traffic and protect the scene. Agencies involved were Bloomfield Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska Fire Marshall Office, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Nebraska State Patrol. The Nebraska Department of Transportation also supplied support.