More than 500 animals died in a barn fire Sunday, according to Prince William County fire marshals.
Officials said they got a call about a reported house fire after 3:30 a.m. in Gainesville, Virginia, along Lee Highway.
When crews arrived, the department said they saw a barn that was fully on fire. First responders determined that there were animals inside of the barn, but they wouldn’t be able to save the animals “due to the volume of fire.”
While no injuries to humans were reported, an estimated 500 birds (chickens or ducks), four dogs and three pigs died in the fire.
Lee Highway was closed for roughly 30 minutes while firefighters doused the blaze. The barn was destroyed.
The Fire Marshal’s Office said the department considers the fire an accident.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo and Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.
