Fire engulfs two poultry barns

DERRY TOWNSHIP -- Firefighters from across Mifflin County and surrounding counties battled a fire that engulfed two poultry barns late Wednesday night in Derry Township.

The fire was reported at 11:17 p.m. Wednesday in the area of 136 Winding Lane, according to Mifflin County Communications. Yeagertown Fire Company was the primary department handling the incident.

Communications officials said the fire was around 136 Winding Lane but did not provide an exact address.

Both poultry barns were fully involved, as additional crews were summoned.

Granville Fire Company reported its tanker was dispatched at 12:33 a.m. Thursday, more than an hour after the initial call. Granville's tanker helped with water-supply operations for about three hours before returning to service.

Reedsville Fire Company also sent an engine and tanker and asked motorists to avoid Ferguson Valley Road while crews shuttled water to the scene.

The rural location required a tanker shuttle to keep water flowing to firefighters. Tankers shuttled between the fire scene and water sources as crews continued working to control the blaze overnight.

The fire drew departments from throughout Mifflin County and beyond.

Mifflin County Communications said Fame EMS responded along with Yeagertown, Burnham, Chief Logan, Reedsville, Milroy, Heritage, City Hook and Ladder, Junction, Granville, West Granville, McVeytown and Belleville fire companies. Units from surrounding counties also assisted.

The response continued to grow after midnight. Granville was called more than an hour after the initial report, and its tanker remained at the scene for about three hours.

Other departments continued assisting Yeagertown firefighters as crews worked to supply enough water to battle the fire. Rural barn fires can require extensive water-supply operations because hydrants may not be available near the scene, forcing tankers to carry water from other locations.

The number of departments called to Winding Lane also required coordination among firefighters, apparatus, and water-supply crews. Ferguson Valley Road was used by responding equipment during the operation, prompting the request for motorists to stay clear of the area.

State records list Larry M. Groff Turkey Farm at 136 Winding Lane. An April 2026 Pennsylvania Bulletin notice lists the Derry Township property as a turkey operation.

The state record does not indicate how many birds were housed at the property Wednesday night.

Officials had not said Thursday whether turkeys were inside the barns or whether any birds were lost.

Officials also had not released a damage estimate.

No official information was immediately available on injuries, and the cause of the fire had not been announced as of Thursday afternoon.

The fire required firefighters to remain in the area for hours as tankers continued hauling water. Granville's approximately three-hour commitment to water-supply operations extended well into Thursday morning after the original call came in shortly before midnight.

Crews from several parts of Mifflin County responded, bringing engines, tankers, and other apparatus to the Derry Township property. Mutual-aid departments helped provide the personnel and water needed as firefighters dealt with two burning agricultural buildings.

Firefighters also had to contend with the size of the structures and the extent of the fire while maintaining the water supply required for the operation.

Authorities had not released information Thursday afternoon indicating how the fire started or whether an investigation had determined its origin.

As of Thursday afternoon, authorities had not released a cause, damage estimate, or information on possible livestock losses.