27,000 chickens killed in Langley, B.C., barn fire

A barn fire in Langley is pictured on Sunday, June 29. (Township of Langley Fire Department)

A poultry farmer in Langley, B.C., lost a sizeable flock in a barn fire early Sunday morning, firefighters say.

Crews were called to 256th Street near the U.S. border around 2 a.m., Township of Langley Deputy Fire Chief Cory Parker told CTV News. Upon arrival, the fire was growing quickly and additional units were called in.

“It was quite a stubborn fire to put out, extremely large buildings, and our crews did a really good job of stopping it from spreading,” he said, adding that two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion on scene.

Unfortunately, two buildings were destroyed and approximately 27,000 chickens perished in the blaze.

“They’re devastated by the loss,” Parker said. “They’re a long-time chicken producing family in the township and this is a devastating fire for them.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but Parker said there’s no indication it was suspicious in nature.