Get the Top, Local stories delivered to your inbox! Click here to join the daily Vernon Matters newsletter.
Free range chickens are seen in Abbotsford, B.C. Monday, March 28, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
By The Canadian Press

165,000 chickens dead after barns catch fire in Abbotsford, B.C.

May 22, 2026 | 12:15 PM

ABBOTSFORD — The city of Abbotsford, B.C., says about 165,000 chickens were killed after multiple barns caught on fire.

The city says in an email the fire happened at about 4 p.m. Thursday in a rural area south of Abbotsford on Gladwin Road.

Abbotsford Fire Rescue Services deployed 13 crews to the scene, and firefighters had to bring in excavators to help put out the fire.

The city says one firefighter had to be hospitalized due to heat exhaustion, and Gladwin Road was closed for several hours.

Abbotsford South legislator Bruce Banman says in a social media post that three barns were destroyed.

emergency response
Two people injured in Highway 6 crash
May 23, 2026
Maintenance & Repairs
Infrastructure work to impact HWY 97 traffic in Vernon
May 22, 2026
Admission Prices
Vernon recreation fees could change with ALC opening
May 22, 2026

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Other Matters

New Tool
COEDC launches refreshed Business Resource Hub
The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC) has launched a refreshed online Business Resource Hub aimed at making it easier for local entrepreneurs and companies to access support services in one centralized location.The platform brings together business programs, services and organizations from across...
29m ago
Read More
Must win Wednesday
Rockets fall in overtime
The margin was razor-thin.For the second straight game at the Memorial Cup, the host Kelowna Rockets were within reach of a victory. But for the second straight game, they came away empty-handed.A 3-2 overtime loss to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Sunday night dropped the Rockets to 0-and-2 at the tournament and ...
46m ago
Read More
Major Infrastructure Project
Progress made on 43rd Ave. project
The infrastructure project along the road outside the new Active Living Centre and Kal Tire Place is moving along.A staff report on the 43rd Avenue Corridor Improvement project said the work installing deep underground utilities, such as water and sewer, had been completed.As of the update, city crews were working with...
4h ago
Read More
Ford E-Transit Vans
Service vans added to Vernon's EV fleet
The City of Vernon has acquired two more electric vehicles.City staff have purchased two slightly-used fully electric service vans, a 2024 Ford E-Transit and a 2025 Ford E-Transit, for a total of $133,000 plus tax.The city had allocated $180,000 for the purchase of the vehicles, and the remaining funds will be used to ...
May 24, 2026
Read More
emergency response
Two people injured in Highway 6 crash
A collision on Highway 6 Friday afternoon resulted in two people going to hospital.Emergency Health Services said it was called to the scene of the crash near the Veggie Pro building between Coldstream and Lumby at around 2:50 p.m. May 22.Paramedics arrived on the scene and provided emergency medical care before transp...
May 23, 2026
Read More
Maintenance & Repairs
Infrastructure work to impact HWY 97 traffic in Vernon
The main artery in and out of Vernon's south end will see traffic delays all next week.Starting at 6:30 a.m. Monday, city crews will be doing underground utility infrastructure maintenance and upgrades along Hospital Hill.The work will require Highway 97/32nd Street to be reduced to a single alternating lane between 15...
May 22, 2026
Read More
Admission Prices
Vernon recreation fees could change with ALC opening
Vernon's new Active Living Centre is set to open this fall, and the city is considering changes to its fee structure to go along with the new facility.The city has proposed modernizing and simplifying the recreation admission fees by offering only single visit passes, 10-pass, and both annual and monthly memberships.Th...
May 22, 2026
Read More
Home Stretch
Okanagan College recreation centre project moves into final construction phase
Construction is entering the final phase on the Don Folk and Family Recreation and Wellness Centre at Okanagan College as fundraising efforts continue to build around the project.The facility, scheduled to open in fall 2026 on the college's Kelowna campus, will include a competition-size gymnasium, fitness and weight-t...
May 22, 2026
Read More
HealthIM
RCMP in Okanagan, Interior use new app for mental health calls
A new resource has come online to assist police in the Southern Interior when dealing with complex cases.The province has rolled out the HealthIM app in the Okanagan and surrounding regions, which is a screening tool loaded onto officer-issued phones to be accessed when responding to calls relating to mental health or ...
May 22, 2026
Read More

What Matters

emergency response
Two people injured in Highway 6 crash
May 23, 2026
Maintenance & Repairs
Infrastructure work to impact HWY 97 traffic in Vernon
May 22, 2026
Admission Prices
Vernon recreation fees could change with ALC opening
May 22, 2026
HealthIM
RCMP in Okanagan, Interior use new app for mental health calls
May 22, 2026
Strafish Program
Program that feeds local school children in 10th year of operations
May 22, 2026