Approximately mid-day Thursday April 23rd a fire erupted in a three-level laying house at the Keyes Complex of Gemperle Family Farms in Stanislaus County, CA.  The building was a complete loss along with a flock of approximately 280,000 hens.  Five fire companies responded to the conflagration that took four hours to extinguish.  Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by workers repairing a ventilation unit. 

Most fires in old high-rise barns erected over twenty years ago are associated with electrical failure.  Fires in relatively new buildings during daylight hours are extremely rare and this event suggests deficiencies in planning for a fire or response to the initial outbreak.