A billboard was put up near the Red Bird Egg Farm in Salem County in memory of the thousands of chickens that burned to death in a fire on July 20.

No people were injured but Mannington Fire Department Chief Lee Butcher told CBS Philly that 200,000 chickens died in the fire in the main building, which was constructed of aluminum, and another 80,000 were killed in a neighboring building.

Video of the farm shows one building completely burned to the ground.

The billboard is located 2 miles from the farm on West Avenue in Woodstown near a McDonald's and Wendy's.

PETA's advertisement urges people to go vegan to avoid future fires.

"In memory of the chickens killed nearby in a fire. If everyone were vegan it wouldn't have happened," it says.

"If PETA's message of compassion inspires just one person to go vegan, good will result," PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a written statement. "PETA is ready and willing to help anyone make the transition to delicious vegan food and, by doing so, help stop cruelty to animals in barns and slaughterhouses."

Newkirk is the author of  "Animalkind," a book about the "gentle nature, intelligence, and communication abilities of chickens," according to PETA.

The state Fire Safety office, part of the Department of Community Affairs, was conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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