Fire Severely Damages Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm Near Corwith

By Andi Anderson

A major fire caused significant damage at Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm near Corwith, Iowa, on the evening of March 26, resulting in the loss of several poultry flocks and injuries to a firefighter during the response.

Emergency crews from more than a dozen fire departments were called to the scene shortly after 6 p.m. as flames spread rapidly through large poultry housing structures. Strong winds, dry conditions, and the size of the buildings made firefighting efforts difficult, requiring water to be transported from nearby towns and lakes.

According to first responders, the fire spread quickly between adjacent buildings. Officials later determined that all poultry houses located south of the point of origin were not salvageable. Crews remained on site into the following day, using heavy equipment to remove debris and extinguish remaining hotspots.

Company Confirms Losses

Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm released a statement acknowledging the severity of the incident and confirming livestock losses.

“Our Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm experienced a devastating fire this week. We have received many messages of support, and we appreciate the care of our community during this difficult time. While no employees were harmed, our prayers are with the firefighter who was injured during the response to the fire. We are keeping him and his loved ones close in our thoughts.”

“Despite our team's extraordinary efforts and the brave and tireless efforts of multiple fire departments, we are sad to share that several flocks were lost to the fire,” the statement continued. “We are grateful for the swift actions of first responders and our farm employees, who helped keep our team safe and prevented the spread of the fire to additional barns.”

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation.

LargeScale Egg Production Operation

Hawkeye Pride Egg Farm is part of the Versova Family of Companies, which is transitioning to a cooperative structure under the name Versova Management Cooperative. The Corwith facility is one of the largest eggproducing sites in the state and processes both shell eggs and liquid egg products.

The farm includes both conventional and cagefree housing systems and supports multiple stages of egg production. Iowa remains the nation’s top eggproducing state, and incidents of this scale can have operational and logistical implications far beyond the immediate site.

Community Response and Ongoing Recovery

Volunteer fire departments from across the region assisted with the response, many remaining on scene for more than eight hours. Several departments reported equipment damage during firefighting efforts, including hose and nozzle losses.

No injuries were reported among farm employees, and local officials credited coordinated emergency response efforts with preventing further spread of the fire.

Just weeks before the fire, the Versova Community Foundation had made donations to several Iowa-based volunteer fire departments. In a social media post at the time, the foundation wrote, “We’d like to extend a special thank you to Lake Mills Iowa Fire Department - LMFD, Scarville Fire Department, and Thompson Fire Department; we appreciate your continued partnership and all you do to help our communities!”

As cleanup and investigation continue, agricultural leaders and community members have expressed support for both the affected operation and the emergency personnel involved.

Further information regarding the extent of the damage and next steps for the operation is expected as assessments continue.

Photo Credit: Belmond Fire Department