A devastating explosion and fire at the Koch Foods poultry processing plant in Fairfield, Ohio killed one worker and injured two others on February 15, prompting a massive emergency response. According to AGDAILY (February 18, 2026), more than 100 firefighters from as many as 20 agencies battled the seven-hour blaze, which caused the roof of the 600,000 square-foot facility to partially collapse.
The Butler County Coroner's Office identified the deceased worker as Griffin Darrow, 25, of Cincinnati, who died from smoke inhalation. As FOX19 (February 17, 2026) reported, Darrow was working an overnight shift when the explosion occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. Fire crews initially had to abandon their search due to untenable heat and structural conditions, recovering his body hours later near partially collapsed structural components.
Two additional employees were transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with burn injuries and were later treated and released, according to WCPO (February 18, 2026). Fire officials said the fact that both were released suggests they did not suffer serious inhalation injuries.
During the response, authorities issued a precautionary two-mile shelter-in-place order due to concerns about the facility's ammonia refrigerant tanks. MEAT+POULTRY (February 18, 2026) reported that the Butler County Sheriff's Office activated the Greater Cincinnati Hazardous Materials Unit to conduct air monitoring. The ammonia source was successfully shut off and air quality readings confirmed safe, allowing the order to be lifted by approximately 7:30 a.m.
Koch Foods released a statement confirming the death of a team member and expressing condolences to the family, as FOX19 reported. The company said its thoughts are also with the team members who were injured and all members of the workforce affected by the tragedy.
Investigators from the Fairfield Fire Investigation Unit, the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office, and OSHA are reviewing the cause of the fire and explosion, according to RFD-TV (February 18, 2026). Officials say the extent of the damage will require a thorough, time-consuming inspection, and no official cause has been released.
This was the second significant fire at the plant in recent history. WATTPoultry (February 2026) reported that on December 31, 2024, a fire broke out in a mechanical room causing about $50,000 in damages. The latest incident occurred at a manufacturing building that was part of a $220 million expansion project announced in 2021, which added more than 600 jobs to the region.
In 2021, Fairfield city officials identified Koch Foods as the city's largest industrial employer, with approximately 2,000 workers in the area. As AGDAILY's reporting noted, Chicago-based Koch Foods is one of the largest poultry producers in the United States, producing more than 60 million pounds of ready-to-cook poultry per week.
Multiple workers called 911 to report the explosion. A Firehouse report (February 18, 2026) revealed that one caller told dispatchers this is not a false alarm as the call was upgraded to a full structure assignment. Powder Bulk Solids (February 19, 2026) added that Fairfield Deputy Fire Chief Steve Conn described the fire as particularly challenging due to the scale of structural damage.
For the U.S. poultry supply chain, the disruption at one of Koch Foods' major processing facilities adds uncertainty at a time when the industry is already navigating avian influenza outbreaks and rising production costs. Officials have not yet indicated how long operations will be suspended, but the scale of destruction suggests a significant production gap in the near term.