Granville, Iowa — Two fire departments were called out for a fire on Thursday, January 23, 2020, near Granville.
According to Granville Fire Chief Karl Kellen, about 5:30 p.m., the Granville Fire Department was called to the report of a hog confinement fire near 450th Street and Martin Avenue, about a half a mile north of Granville.
The chief says the fire started when a contractor was doing some building repair with a welder. He says the pit gas fans were turned off, and so pit gas had accumulated in the pit. Then a spark from the welder fell into the pit and ignited the gas. Kellen tells us that the barn had no livestock in it at the time.
Kellen says no injuries were reported.
He says they originally asked for the assistance of the Hospers Fire Department, but he says the fire was out when Granville firefighters arrived, so there was no need. He tells us they used their thermal imaging cameras to make sure there were no hot spots anywhere, but it seems that the fire was contained to the pit.
He says the 12 firefighters who responded were on the scene for about 45 minutes.
He says they turned out lucky in this situation. He says this is the third time that something like this has happened. The other ones caused some damage. Kellen tells us that those who run hog confinements need to remember to turn on the pit fans even if there are no animals in the building, especially if there are any sparks, flames, or running engines in the confinement because the pit gas is explosive and flammable.
