8,200 chickens die as Fraser Valley barn ‘completely destroyed’ by fire

A chicken barn in Chilliwack that burned to the ground Tuesday morning is believed to have killed 8,200 birds.

A chicken barn in Chilliwack burned to the ground Tuesday morning, according to officials, who say 8,200 birds were inside at the time.

Crews were called to the scene on the 6000 block of Chilliwack River Road around 10:20 a.m. where they were met with a “heavy black column of smoke,” a statement from the Chilliwack Fire Department said.

“There was a deep-seated heavily involved working structure fire within an operational chicken barn,” the statement said, adding that crews were unable to enter the barn and prioritized fighting the flames from the exterior.

“Hose streams were also deployed to protect adjacent structures, confining the damage to the barn initially involved, which was completely destroyed by the fire.”

No one was injured and the cause, while still under investigation, appears to have been accidental.