Several fire departments responded to a massive fire at the Zoetis plant in Charles City Monday night. According to the fire chief, the water supply was hampered because of the lack of fire hydrants in the area. 20-30 mile-per-hour winds had also spread the fire to the rest of the main building that housed chickens, causing the deaths of nearly 5,000 birds.
Fire crews said flames were reported sometime between 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. and several employees were able to make it out safely. Twelve different fire departments from surrounding areas are helping battle flames, some from as far as Mason City. A firefighter suffered a minor leg injury. The cause of the fire remains under investigation