MAPLETON — Lightning might have started a barn fire that killed about 25,000 chickens Thursday night near Mapleton in southern Minnesota.

Firefighters were called to a farm on 119th Street/Blue Earth County Road 29, a mile west of Minnesota 22, at around 8:45 p.m.

The barn was already engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, said Mapleton Fire Chief Ben Froehlich.

Firefighters worked for more than four hours to extinguish the fire while preventing it from spreading to barns on either side of the barn that was destroyed, Froehlich said.

No property owners or firefighters were injured. The property owner reported that about 25,000 chickens had likely perished, Froehlich said.

In addition to Mapleton, firefighters from six area departments responded to help fight the blaze or provide operations support. Fourteen tankers were used to supply the estimated 150,000 gallons of water needed to extinguish the fire, according to the fire chief.

A cause has not been determined. Froehlich said a lightning strike is a possibility, as there was lightning in the area at the time.