Inspectors are investigating a massive fire that blazed through four barns at Sparks Egg Farm northeast of Calgary yesterday.
The fire broke out in the afternoon in one barn and was pushed to the other barns by strong winds, destroying all four. None of the farm’s 80 employees were injured, but as many as 25,000 laying hens died, said Christina Robinson of Alberta Egg Producers.
A workshop was lost, but the grading station received only minimal smoke damage.
Sparks graded about half the eggs in southern Alberta. Grading could resume within a few days once inspectors and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency rule the station is operable, said David Webb of Alberta Egg Producers.
“Our industry is pulling together and other grading stations in Alberta and Saskatchewan are taking the eggs and grading them,” Robinson said.
The farm was a major producer of generic and specialty products such as grain fed and brown omega 3 eggs.
Other Alberta producers have agreed to change their feed programs to make those eggs available, so there will be no disruption in the provincial supply.
Sparks Eggs is a third generation family-run operation owned by Meb Gilani. It has been in business for 35 years.
