ABOUT 26,000 chickens had to be moved after a barn fire.
Firefighters placed a 200-metre cordon around the single storey building at Ricksfield Farm in Station Road, Milcombe, near Banbury, after discovering it contained five gas cylinders on Tuesday.
The chickens were moved from an adjacent barn in case of an explosion.
Fire crews from Banbury, Hook Norton, Chipping Norton, Charlbury, Wheatley, Kidlington, Eynsham and Deddington attended at about 11.30am and there was a small amount of smoke but no sign of any flames.
Police cordoned off the area around the farm while the fire service investigated yesterday. Thames Valley Police spokesman Craig Evry said the cause of the blaze would determine whether there needed to be a police investigation.
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