WILLARDS, Md. — An electrical problem sparked a fire that killed 250 chickens at an Eastern Shore chicken house this afternoon.
It's the second deadly chicken fire in the Willards area in recent months - although this one is much smaller than a November fire that killed about 20,000 chickens.
This latest fire was reported at 12:45 p.m. Monday, at Gator Farms on Cobbs Hill Road in Wicomico County, reported the Maryland State Fire Marshal's office.
About 250 of the 28,600 chickens in the chicken house died in the fire.
There was an estimated $80,000 of total damage.
The preliminary cause is believed to be an accidental electrical failure on the ceiling.
About 30 firefighters spent 25 minutes working to control the fire.
