Overnight fire hits major chicken farm facility in South Carolina, officials say

There was an overnight fire at major chicken farm in South Carolina.

Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze at the Amick Farms plant on U.S. 178/Batesburg Highway. That’s near the intersection with Spann Road in the Batesburg-Leesville area of Saluda County.

No injuries were reported in the fire at “one of the most important businesses in Saluda County,” Saluda County EMS said on it’s Facebook page.

Information about the cause of the fire, and where it started at the chicken farm in the Midlands, was not available. Messages left with the Batesburg-Leesville Fire Department, Saluda County Fire Service and Lexington County Fire Service weren’t immediately returned.

Firefighters responded to the burning facility at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a post from Lexington County, SC Firewire.

There was no word about how long it took to get the fire under control and extinguished, or the extent of the damage caused to the chicken plant.

Photos shared by Saluda County EMS show flames visible from the outside of the facility.

The Saluda County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the fire. Information about an investigation, and which agency was leading the inquiry, was not immediately available. There was no word if foul play was suspected.

“We appreciate the extraordinary efforts of our local emergency responders, and we are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire,” Amick Farms officials said on social media.

Amick Farms, which was founded in 1941 in Batesburg, now has more than 3,500 employees and produces more than 1.4 billion pounds of chicken products annually, according to its website.

The Batesburg facility has 1,770 employees, according to Zoominfo.

Amick Farms’ products are distributed in more than 40 states in retail, food service and industrial markets. In addition to the facility in Batesburg, Amick Farms has plants that include a feed mill and hatchery in both Hurlock, Maryland and Laurel, Mississippi.

There was no word about how the fire at the Batesburg-Leesville facility might affect Amick Farms’ overall operation, or how long it will take to recover from damage caused by the blaze.

“Our thoughts are with the Amick Farms work force today,” Saluda County EMS said.

Amick Farms officials said work would be disrupted for at least two days. Both Sunday’s sanitation and night shift as well as Monday’s day shift employees were told not to report for their normally scheduled shifts.

“Appropriate measures are being taken to best serve our team members, growers and customers,” Amick Farms officials said. “We appreciate your commitment to your job and being a part of the Amick Team!”

In November 2024, there was a fire at a Maryland farm that had a contract with Amick Farms where about 20,000 chickens died, WBOC reported.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.