WASCO, Calif. | On July 1, 2025, at approximately 2:21 p.m., the Kern County Fire Department responded to a fire at a three-story poultry farm near Highway 46 and Gun Club Road. A large column of smoke was visible from a distance, prompting units en route to request a second alarm. Engine 31 arrived to find the three-story poultry farm fully engulfed in flames, with adjacent structures at risk. On-site representatives confirmed that no chickens were in the affected building and all employees had been safely evacuated and accounted for.

Firefighters adopted a defensive strategy, focusing suppression efforts on protecting unburned structures and containing the fire to the building of origin. Two ladder trucks with elevated streams were deployed to extinguish the remaining flames. This will be an extended incident, as units continue to overhaul the large structure. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is undetermined. 

*Update 7/2/25*

From Jerry Gibson, CEO of Central Valley Eggs:

Central Valley Eggs today experienced a fire in an empty barn on our farm in Wasco.

None of our team members were harmed, and we are thankful for those employees who alerted us to the fire before it could spread.

The fire was contained to that one barn, which had no hens living in it.

The remaining barns at that location were undamaged, and our flocks were safe.

We are grateful for the immediate response by local fire departments and emergency personnel assured that no other barns were involved in the fire, and we thank them for their swift actions.