WILLARDS, Md. — A fire early Friday morning ravaged a commercial chicken house in Wicomico County, killing approximately 20,000 chickens and causing an estimated $175,000 in damage, authorities said.
The blaze was reported at 5:43 a.m. at 9209 New Hope Road, where a 500-by-40-foot chicken house owned by Mark and Brittany Pugh was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The fire, discovered by a passerby, was brought under control within 30 minutes by 45 firefighters from the Pittsville Volunteer Fire Department and neighboring departments.
No injuries were reported, but the structure sustained $100,000 in damage, with an additional $75,000 loss of contents, including the perished chickens. Investigators said the chicken house, which had no smoke alarms, fire alarms, or sprinklers, was under contract with Amick Farms to raise the chickens.
The fire’s area of origin was identified as the interior of the chicken house, but the exact cause remains under investigation, according to officials.