Fire officials say several chickens died after a fire fully engulfed a large chicken coop behind a home in Beach Park late Thursday evening.
The Winthrop Harbor Fire Department responded around 11:41 p.m. Thursday to the 40500 block of North Green Bay Road in Beach Park for a report of a fire called in by a resident.
Winthrop Harbor Fire Chief Rocco Campanella said crews arrived to find a large chicken coop fully involved in flames.
The 20-foot by 20-foot structure was very close to a barn.
Firefighters were worried about the fire spreading due to the wind, Campanella said.
The incident was upgraded to bring multiple additional fire departments to the scene.
Campanella said the fire occurred at a residential property with a long driveway.
Firefighters had to deploy a five-inch hose line approximately 400 feet from the roadway to the fire.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before it was able to spread to the barn.
Incoming fire departments were then canceled, with the Waukegan and Beach Park fire departments assisting Winthrop Harbor at the scene.
Several chickens died in the fire, Campanella said. An exact number was not known.
Green Bay Road was partially shut down while crews remained on the scene for approximately an hour. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.