A barn fire killed 2,400 pigs earlier this week west of Sibley in northwest Iowa, according to the Sibley Fire Department.
By the time crews arrived at the scene, the hog confinement was already fully engulfed and a total loss. No human injuries were reported.
Driven by strong eastbound winds, firefighters focused their efforts on protecting two LP gas cylinders next to the building and containing embers blowing into a nearby cornfield, the department shared in a social media update.
“It’s always a scary first few moments, but we got the fire knocked down,” the department wrote on social media.
Osceola County Emergency Management coordinated mutual aid from several area departments, including crews from Ashton, Little Rock and George.
Fire officials also credited Randy Vopel Farms for quickly combining an adjacent field to create a firebreak after blowing embers threatened the standing corn.
“After concurring with Farmers Mutual Insurance investigator, we have deemed it ‘undetermined,’” says Sibley Fire Chief Kenneth Huls. “We are aiming toward electrical issues igniting insulation in the attic area with strong west winds blowing through the curtain area. Obviously, this was unintentional in cause.”
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