By Associated Press
Heflin, AL – A fire destroyed the Tyson Foods poultry processing plant at Heflin, forcing a halt to production. Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson says the plant, which processes about one million birds per week, was not operating when the blaze broke out Saturday. No one was injured. Assistant Fire Chief Dan Hopkins of the Hollis Crossroads Fire Department in Cleburne County says firefighters saved the office complex, but the processing plant was destroyed. He says 16 different fire departments battled the blaze from 4:30 p-m- Saturday until about 3:30 a-m- yesterday. Some nearby homes were evacuated because of hazardous fumes, but residents were allowed to return about two-thirty Sunday morning. Only maintenance employees work at the plant on weekends. The plant, which opened in 1986, employs 267 workers. Hopkins said the fire was first reported by the roofing contractor. Mickelson said insulation may have caught fire during the roof repairs. He had no immediate estimate of the damages.