A weekend fire at a House of Raeford chicken plant in Wallace, N.C., has left the plant closed until further notice. The building was not in operation at the time and no employees were in the building at the time of the fire.

Three emergency service workers were injured while fire crews battled the blaze, but all were released. The cause of the fire is under investigation, reports WNCT News.

House of Raeford issued the following statement:

“At approximately 11:30 pm last night, a fire was reported in a House of Raeford Farms processing plant, known as the “Wallace Plant.” Fortunately, the plant was not in operation at the time. One injury to a first responder has been reported.

“Plant management worked quickly to secure the scene and ensure everyone’s safety. Emergency response teams worked to control the fire and remain at the plant location to ensure that the fire is under control.

“We commend plant officials and emergency response teams for their incredible efforts to follow protocol and manage the situation.

“As of right now, the Wallace plant remains closed until further notice. We will provide more information on plant operations when appropriate.”

The company issued an additional notice stating that all current employees at the Wallace processing plant will be paid their normal wage until further notice. Employees will be contacted before the end of the week by a company representative regarding job assignments.

“The company remains committed to restoring operations in the Wallace and Teachey, NC communities,” the company said.

Source: House of Raeford Farms, WNCT News