May 6, 2025

Chicken coop in Sabah, Malaysia, caught fire, 20,000 birds dead

A poultry farmer in Sabah, Malaysia, suffered devastating losses when a fire tore through his chicken coop, killing around 20,000 birds on May 5.

The semi-permanent structure was almost entirely engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived at Kampung Rampayan Ulu.

An 11-man team led by station chief and senior operations commander Elgie Bakuk battled the blaze for over 40 minutes before bringing it under control.

"We received the distress call at 12.34pm. The coop was already 95% destroyed by the time our team reached the scene," said Elgie.

He added: "The entire operation of the coop was fully automated. (It is possible) that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit, but the actual cause will be confirmed by the Fire and Rescue Department's forensic unit."

- The Star