Laying hen coop in Kuningan burns down, 6,300 lives lost

A devastating fire engulfed a laying hen coop in Kuningan, West Java, resulting in the deaths of 6,300 young hens. The blaze occurred in Dusun Puhun, Desa Haurkuning, on Wednesday, June 3, 2016. The coop housed a total of 6,500 young laying hens, meaning nearly all of them perished in the fire.

Firefighters were alerted after the coop's management noticed flames consuming the roof and spreading downwards. The limited availability of water at the scene complicated initial efforts to control the fire. Upon arrival, the fire department worked to extinguish the flames and then proceeded with cooling down the area to prevent any lingering embers.

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Because the fire started from above and there was no water source, the coop managers tried to extinguish the fire with makeshift tools.

An investigation into the cause of the fire revealed that sparks from an oven machine ignited the plastic material used for the coop's roof. The fire rapidly consumed the structure, measuring 14 meters by 28 meters. The total estimated financial loss due to the incident is Rp120 million.

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From the results of the investigation and based on witness statements, it is known that the cause of the fire was due to sparks from the chicken oven machine igniting the plastic roof covering of the coop, causing a fire.