ANDREWS, N.C. (WLOS) — Approximately 85,000-86,000 chickens died in a fire that consumed an industrial chicken coop in the late-night hours of Jan. 17 and early-morning hours of Jan. 18 in Cherokee County.

Valleytown Fire Department Chief Justin Hyde told News 13 that crews were called to Andrews Valley Poultry Farm at 617 Taylors Creek Road in Andrews at 9:18 p.m. on Jan. 17.

Hyde said the owners of the facility told him there were about 85,000-86,000 chickens in the building at the time of the fire. No staff were in the facility, and all the chickens died, Hyde said.

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"It was a 60 feet by 600 feet commercial structure. When crews arrived, the fire was 50% involved. We requested a county-wide response for tankers," Hyde said. "It took us about six hours to put out the fire. Crews were there until about 3 a.m. Saturday morning."

Hyde said the cause of the fire is still under investigation and that the fire caused an estimated $5 million in damages.

"No people were in the building at the time of the fire. No firefighters or any other personnel were injured in the fire," Hyde said.

Eleven agencies were involved in fighting the fire.