Electrical Failure Blamed for Chicken House Fire in Salisbury

SALISBURY, Md. — An electrical failure is being blamed for a fire that damaged a commercial chicken house in Wicomico County Friday afternoon, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal. 

Firefighters were dispatched just after 1 p.m. to the 4000 block of St. Luke’s Road, where they found a fire inside a chicken house measuring approximately 500 feet by 43 feet. Crews from the Fruitland Volunteer Fire Company brought the blaze under control in about five minutes. 

Officials said the fire originated in a void space within an interior wall. A preliminary investigation determined the cause was accidental and the result of an electrical failure. 

No injuries were reported, and no one was displaced by the fire. Authorities also confirmed there were no chickens inside the building when the fire broke out after the property owner discovered the flames and called 911. 

Damage to the structure is estimated at approximately $1,000. The Office of the State Fire Marshal continues to investigate the incident, but no additional hazards have been reported.