Confinement fire causes animal loss
By TYLER ELLYSON and AMY HANSEN — CNA staff reporters
MURRAY — A Monday morning fire at the Iowa Select Farms hog confinement on Clarke-Union Avenue north of Highway 34 has been attributed to a faulty generator.
Iowa Select Farms Chief Operating Officer Howard Hill said the fire originated in a stand-by generator, and was prevented from spreading to a production unit because of quick response time.
"Fortunately, the losses were minimal because people were at the site and the fire department responded immediately," Hill added.
Hill said a small number of sows and piglets located in a farrowing room next to the generator room had to be euthanized because of smoke inhalation and injuries, but did not have a specific number available. No employees were injured.
According to Randy Flaherty of the Murray Fire Department, most of the damage from the fire, which started around 6:15 a.m., was in the building's electrical controls and contained in a hallway between two buildings.
The Murray, Lorimor, Afton and Osceola fire departments responded to the fire at Iowa Select's 4,000-sow confinement west of Murray.
Firefighting crews battled snow, ice and fog along with the blaze for about five hours.
"We're very appreciative of their efforts and the speed at which they were able to respond," said Hill.
Operations at the confinement were running at a "fairly normal" level Wednesday as crews cleaned up and worked to fix damages caused by the fire, Hill said.
While total damage and loss estimates have not been calculated, Hill estimated the figure would be less than $100,000.
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