Jember, East Java. A devastating fire tore through a poultry farm in Kaliwining Village, Rambipuji District, Jember, on Saturday night, killing an estimated 24,000 chickens and causing financial losses of around Rp 4 billion ($246,000), local authorities said.

The fire was first spotted at the center of the chicken coops before spreading rapidly and destroying all surrounding structures.

“I rushed to the scene to help the two farm workers, but by the time we arrived, it was already too late,” said Arifin, a resident of Kaliwining.

Residents attempted to assist, but the fire had already become uncontrollable.

Two fire trucks were dispatched about 30 minutes after the alarm was raised, but responders struggled to reach the scene due to narrow access roads in the village.

“It took us nearly two hours to fully extinguish the fire,” said Aris Setiawan, one of the firefighters at the scene.

Although no injuries were reported, the entire farm was reduced to ashes, along with all livestock inside.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but fire officials suspect it may have originated from a faulty gas cylinder inside one of the cages.