TWENTY four chickens died after a fire spontaneously combusted in a dung heap nearby.
Huntingdon firefighters were called to a shed fire in London Road, Godmanchester, at 10.50pm last night. The shed contained 24 chickens, which all died.
Fire investigators said the cause of fire was accidental and caused by spontaneous combustion which started in a dung heap located next to the chicken shed. The wind blew embers and heat which made contact with the chicken shed and caused the fire to break out.
Trevor Lindsay, watch commander, said: “We would urge anyone who has garden refuse or manure heaps that can have a tendency to self-burn to not store them next to wooden buildings or anything that is easily flammable.
“Also, if there is a fire in an open space, especially in a rural area, we would encourage the caller to give landmarks to make it easier for the fire service to find the incident quickly.”
The crews returned to their base by 12.20am.
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