6000 chickens die in barn fire
About 6000 chickens died when their barn caught fire about 5pm on 9 July – one of the hottest days of the year.
The 60m x 25m single story barn, at Greenwood Farm in East Wellow, Hampshire, was well alight by the time emergency services arrived with 25 firefighters battling the blaze until early Saturday morning, the Southern Daily Echo reported.
The ferocity of the fire prevented all but a few of the 6000 birds from escaping the flames.
Crews remained at the scene of the blaze on Saturday wetting down the smouldering ashes to prevent the fire reigniting in the hot weather.
An investigation has begun into how the fire started.