Barrow Co. poultry plant damaged by fire

BETHLEHEM - A Barrow County poultry packaging facility was damaged by fire Monday afternoon.

According to Barrow County Fire Lt. Scott Dakin, the fire broke out just before 2:00 p.m. at Harrison Poultry on Star Street in Bethlehem.

He said firefighters found heavy black smoke in the middle of the building and fire was showing through the roof when they arrived at the scene.

"It's [the building] two stories and a basement and this particular fire ran from the basement all the way through both stories," said Dakin.

Dakin said firefighters worked with management staff from Harrison Poultry to determine the exact location of the fire. Once the fire was extinguished, crews worked to ventilate the smoke from the building.

Dakin said it appeared about 40-50 employees were in the parking lot of the plant when firefighters arrived; no one was injured. And, he said once smoke was cleared and the building was ventilated, operations resumed at the plant.

"They'll have some clean up to do, but the majority of their plant was not affected too much by the fire."

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Dakin said it does not appear suspicious in nature.