A fire at an organic chicken farm in the Netherlands killed about 3,000 birds on Sunday night.
The chickens were free to roam during the day but were locked inside at night when the fire started. Firefighters worked for hours to stop the flames.
The fire began around 9:30 p.m. in a 10 by 30 metre shed that stored farm machines and 2,000 litres of diesel fuel. Flames quickly spread to one of two nearby chicken barns that held about 9,000 organic laying hens.
In one barn, about 3,000 chickens died because they were locked inside for the night, a common practice even at organic farms. The second barn, with about 6,000 hens, had smoke and water damage, but the animals survived.
Firefighters used four fire trucks, water tankers and extra hoses to control the fire. They declared it under control around midnight but stayed on site for hours to make sure it was safe.
Barn fires are common in the Netherlands. Every year, hundreds of thousands of farm animals die in fires because they are often locked in buildings with no way to escape.
Animal rights groups call for better fire safety, including sprinklers and fire-resistant buildings.
Authorities are investigating how the Vessem fire started.
