General News
30 April, 2026
Flames erupt in poultry shed at McLeans
Around 7:35pm on Wednesday, 29th April, a fire broke out in a poultry laying shed at McLean Farms off Homestead Road, Pittsworth.
“There is unfortunately a significant loss of laying birds, and we are providing support to the staff who so competently tend to these birds daily,” Andy Crocker, CEO of McLean Farms, said.
He confirmed there were no injuries to any of the staff or first responders.
“An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire including investigators from the fire department and our design engineers,” Mr Crocker said.
When emergency personnel responded, fifty per cent of the laying shed at the cage-free farm was engulfed in flames, which resulted in a nearby grass fire.
Ten firefighter crews were on scene, and the blaze was under control by 8:45pm.
“These modern sheds have been designed to prevent the spread of fire, and this along with the response of the McLean Farms team, and firefighters from various precincts, prevented further damage,” Mr Crocker said.
He expressed gratitude to all the first responders for an exceptional job of reacting to, and containing the fire.
In the light of morning, it was clear there was significant roof and structural damage to Shed 42, alongside the devastation of the loss of laying birds.
It’s unclear yet how this incident might affect supermarket egg prices.
McLean Farms is a family-owned world leading egg producer with large-scale laying operations and innovative state-of-the-art technology.
The business first began with Arthur and Hope McLean in the 1950s on the original poultry farm in Quarry Street Pittsworth, with 500 hens. Despite having grown exponentially since then, McLean Farms continues to invest in its roots, passing on its legacy to the local community as a long-standing presence that has shaped, and continues to shape, part of Pittsworth’s history.
