Authorities are investigating a structure fire that occurred on January 27, 2025, at a chicken house on Cobbs Hill Road in Willards, Wicomico County. The fire caused significant damage to the property owned by Gator Farms and resulted in the loss of a small portion of the chickens housed within the facility.
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The fire broke out inside the 40-by-500-foot metal and wood-framed chicken house around 12:45 PM. Approximately 30 firefighters from the Willards Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and brought the blaze under control within 25 minutes. The structure sustained an estimated $50,000 in damages, with an additional $30,000 in losses to its contents. Around 250 of the 28,600 chickens in the facility perished.
Preliminary findings point to an electrical failure at ceiling level as the cause of the fire, which was discovered after the owner was alerted by the facility’s agricultural temperature alarm. The chicken house was not equipped with a sprinkler system.
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Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident. The prompt response by emergency personnel helped to prevent further loss. Authorities continue to monitor the situation and assess the full extent of the damage.
Article by multiple RFHC contributors.
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