150 chickens perish after coop catches on fire at residence near Valley Center
Roughly 150 chickens perished in a fire Tuesday at a residence south of Valley Center.
Authorities were originally called at 3:25 p.m. to a barn fire at a home in the 1300 block of South Meridian. Fire crews arrived at a residence and found a 20-by-40 foot chicken coop on fire behind the house, Valley Center fire chief Lonnie Tormey said in a phone call.
Firefighters quickly put out the fire, with only one building near the coop getting heat damage.
The coop housed around 200 chickens and roughly 50 escaped. No person was injured in the incident, Tormey added.
The cause of the fire is unknown, and the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office was called to investigate. Responding agencies included the Valley Center Police Department, Valley Center Fire Department and the Sedgwick County Fire District 1.
This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 4:07 PM.