Chickens unscathed after shed fire

Part of a large chicken shed near Te Aroha was on fire this morning. Photo / Getty Images

No chickens were harmed in a fire that tore through a commercial chicken processing plant in rural Waikato this morning.

Four fire trucks and two tanks from Te Aroha and Morrinsville were sent to the site, in Te Kawana Rd, on the outskirts of Te Aroha at 6.50am today.

Northern fire communications shift manager Scott Osmond said about 20 per cent of the large commercial sheds had been destroyed by the blaze.

However firefighters arrived at the scene quickly and brought the fire under control within half an hour, he said.

Roger Clark from the Te Aroha Volunteer Fire Station said the fire was contained to the middle of the shed, which was full of one-day-old birds.

"They're all good. They were down the bottom end of the shed.

"We contained the fire and with the owner, we ventilated the building and started all the fans up, and put all the smoke out."

Waikato fire safety were at the scene investigating the cause.

Mr Clark said while they were not sure of what caused the fire, it was possible it was an electrical fault.

It was common for fires to break out in chicken sheds, Mr Clark said.

"I think it is because of the saw dust, and they are heated up to such a level to make the birds grow. Chickens [also] give off natural ammonia, so there is actually a gas in the building.

"When you do get a fire it is basically like a big oven."