A fire that broke out in the early hours of Wednesday, 22 January 2025 has caused severe losses at a poultry farm located in the Mantlleu district, in the municipality of Artesa de Lleida, Lleida, Spain. The incident resulted in the death by asphyxiation of approximately 29,600 broilers, a figure that represents a significant economic and material loss for the operation.
According to sources from the Bombers de la Generalitat, the fire alert was received shortly after seven o’clock in the morning via the 112 emergency service. Two units rapidly attended the scene to bring under control the fire that had broken out at the farm, apparently due to a fault in the installations, which caused smoke to spread rapidly throughout the entire premises.
Although the flames were extinguished quickly and caused minimal visible damage to the main structure of the facility, smoke spread rapidly throughout the installation, causing the asphyxiation of the majority of the birds present at the time. In total, the farm housed approximately 35,000 broilers, of which nearly 85% died as a result of smoke inhalation.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the origin of the fire may be related to a fault in the farm’s boiler system. After extinguishing the flames, firefighters proceeded to inspect the structure and roof of the shed to confirm that no additional damage existed that could compromise the safety of the installations.
This incident highlights the importance of strengthening preventive measures at poultry farms, particularly in heating systems as was the case here, in order to minimise risks in the future. In the meantime, the farm owners will need to contend with the substantial economic losses arising from this fire, which will also entail additional challenges related to production recovery and post-disaster management.