TEN thousand hens were killed when a blaze ripped through a battery farm in Longton.

Firefighters put out the fire, saving 20,000 hens in nearby barns in Drumacre Lane East.

The blaze started at 2.40pm on Tuesday February 26 when one of five timber buildings -- each housing up to 12,000 hens -- caught fire, at Wignall Egg Producers, Cedar Farm.

The family who run the business had started a small fire and as the wind changed direction, sparks flew on to the nearby hatchery.

Officers based at Penwortham fire station were first on the scene as they had just left Drumacre Lane East after checking fire hydrants.

They were joined by a retained crew from Tarleton and engines from Bamber Bridge and Preston.

Penwortham station officer Ian Margison, said: "This was an unfortunate accident. When the wind changed direction, sparks got into the extractor fans of the building. As they were timber buildings with a lot of straw it was highly flammable.

"I am full of praise for the Penwortham and Tarleton crews who managed to get the blaze under control very quickly.

"I am very sorry for the owner, it is his livelihood and he was clearly very upset by the incident.

"The hens would have had a very quick death."

There were no suspicious circumstances.