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Losing livestock is every producer’s worst nightmare. This week, producer Gary Cubbage of Stanley, Virginia, lost not only his poultry house, but 15,500 of his birds in a poultry house fire at his Pine Grove farm.
According to their post on social media, the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department was called to respond to a house fire at 4:05 a.m. Monday. The department’s chief, Terry A. Pettit, reported that once firefighters arrived, the entire building was on fire with flames spreading.
While the firefighters were able to contain the fire within the area, the poultry house suffered significant damage.
Farmer Focus, an organic co-op and chicken processor, said that Cubbage owns three organic chicken farms in Page County, Virginia — Comertown Farm in Shenandoah and Pine Grove and Riverhill Farms in Stanley. His poultry houses supplies Shenandoah Valley Organics as part of Farmer Focus.
Between the building and the 15,500 birds lost, if declared a total loss, the estimated damage is about $500,000.
While the fire department shares that the cause of the fire is unknown, they do know that the fire started in an area where the gas enters the building. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and it took firefighters only 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.
According to their post on social media, the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department was called to respond to a house fire at 4:05 a.m. Monday. The department’s chief, Terry A. Pettit, reported that once firefighters arrived, the entire building was on fire with flames spreading.
While the firefighters were able to contain the fire within the area, the poultry house suffered significant damage.
Farmer Focus, an organic co-op and chicken processor, said that Cubbage owns three organic chicken farms in Page County, Virginia — Comertown Farm in Shenandoah and Pine Grove and Riverhill Farms in Stanley. His poultry houses supplies Shenandoah Valley Organics as part of Farmer Focus.
Between the building and the 15,500 birds lost, if declared a total loss, the estimated damage is about $500,000.
While the fire department shares that the cause of the fire is unknown, they do know that the fire started in an area where the gas enters the building. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and it took firefighters only 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.
