Fire Kills 17,000 Chickens at Virginia Poultry House

Fire officials in northern Virginia say an electrical short caused a blaze at a poultry house that killed 17,000 young chickens.

Media outlets report that the fire occurred outside Harrisonburg Monday night at a poultry house.

Rockingham County Fire and Rescue assistant fire marshal Mike Armstrong says most of the 4-week-old chickens died from smoke inhalation.

Armstrong says the fire inside the steel-framed structure was mostly out when firefighters arrived.