Open-Vents Doom 600-Ft. Hen House
In less than 5 minutes, fire spread through the length of a 36 X 600-foot, metal-clad chicken house in Manhattan, Ill., and within 15 minutes, the building collapsed. The total destruction included not only the building but also 51,000 laying hens.
The alarm was received at 3:23 p.m. last May 5 by the Manhattan Volunteer Fire Department, which had its 750-gpm pumper, 500-gpm pumper, 1500-gallon tank truck and emergency truck at the fire, 2 miles from the firehouse, within 5 minutes. Immediately upon our arrival at the fire, mutual aid was requested from three adjacent communities.
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