Waukesha County fire destroys barn at game farm, 600 pheasant chicks dead; heater may be cause

TOWN OF GENESEE, Wis. — A fire at a game farm and hunt club in Waukesha County has destroyed a barn and killed hundreds of pheasants.

The fire at the Wern Valley Pheasant Farm in the Town of Genesee started shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday. It destroyed one barn and damaged a second.

Riley Williams is with Wern Valley Sportsmen's Club. She says 600 pheasant chicks were killed. She says the fire may have been caused by a heater in the aging barn, and there's no immediate indication of foul play. Authorities say they're investigating heaters as a possible source of the fire.

Williams says about the farm still has about 10,000 pheasants, and business is expected to continue as usual.