RAMONA, Calif. — Flames tore through a building with about 70,000 chickens inside an egg farm in Ramona Thursday evening.
Fire officials tell CBS 8 the fire caused about $2 million in damages, which includes the building and the chickens.
“Whenever you have an event like this, it reduces the supply,” University of San Diego Economics Professor Alan Gin said.
It's still unclear how many chickens died in the fire. CBS 8 spoke to Alan Gin about potential impacts it can have on the price of eggs.
“Depends on how big a part of their operation those 70,000 chickens were, you know. If it was a sizable majority then that will have a serious impact then on, on egg prices in southern California,” Gin said.
Gin explains that we might feel the impact depending on how many of those eggs were meant to be sold locally.
“My guess is that it's going to have a minimal impact as far as the egg supplies concern I think the price of eggs is driven more by national type of events, for example last year we had the avian flu strike the Midwest,” Gin said.
During the past few years, the cost of eggs have soared due to inflation and the bird flu outbreak but Gin said prices have come down considerably.
Meanwhile, the 25,000 square ft. building suffered damage which Gin explains could create jobs for people as it rebuilds.
“There is going to be disruption in the egg market but it could spur a little bit of activity as the facility is rebuilt,” Gin said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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