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Va. barn fire that killed 500 animals ruled an accident; no cause determined

The barn fire that killed more than 500 animals in Prince William County, Virginia, has been ruled an accident, although fire officials say the barn was so badly damaged that they can’t tell what the exact cause was.

The fire started around 3:30 a.m. Sunday in Gainesville, along Lee Highway. About 500 chickens and ducks, four dogs and three pigs died in the fire. No humans were hurt.

“Due to the severity of the destruction, an actual fire cause cannot be determined,” fire officials said in a statement Monday.

They said the barn was privately rented, and was not part of a commercial operation.

Police: Motorcyclist killed, 3 injured in Prince William Co. crash

Prince William County Police have identified a Quantico, Virginia, motorcycle driver killed in a crash near the intersection of Richmond Highway and Allen Dent Road in Dumfries. In a statement, police said that 46-year-old Jason Alan Whitaker of Quantico was driving southbound on the highway in "an apparent reckless manner according to multiple witnesses" at around 11 a.m.
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