SALEM, S.D. -- A Hutterite colony lost about 600 hogs to smoke inhalation over the weekend.
A fire started in a hog barn on the Golden View Hutterite Colony Saturday afternoon. McCook County (S.D.) Emergency Manager Brad Stiefvater said embers from a nearby burn pit likely were sucked into a vent and started the fire in the ceiling of the building.
Salem and Spencer fire departments responded to the fire about 5:30 p.m. Stiefvater said firefighters had to cut open the roof to get at the fire, which burned some rafters and insulation.
Not all the hogs in the 40-by-140-foot barn died, Stiefvater said. But more hogs could die later as some of the animals could develop infections or other complications from smoke inhalation.
The fire departments were on scene for about three hours to manage hot spots in the insulation and rafters of the building's ceiling. Stiefvater said the colony plans to repair the building. In the meantime, the surviving hogs have been moved to another building.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The building sustained damage, but the building damage certainly wouldn't equal the loss of the hogs," he said.
