Hull, Iowa — It sounded like it might be a real big fire — a barn-burner if you will. But due to some quick thinking by an employee, a hog confinement and its pigs were saved on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, near Hull.
According to Hull Fire Chief Ron Hoksbergen, about 11:50 a.m., the Hull Fire Department was called to the report of a hog confinement fire near 270th Street and Hickory Avenue, on the Sioux County side of the road, four miles north of Hull.
The chief says the fire department saw a fan motor and its plastic shroud had been on fire but were mostly extinguished as they approached the scene. He says they sprayed a little bit of water to make sure it was cool and checked for possible hot spots.
He tells us that an employee had fought the fire with an extinguisher and some 5-gallon buckets of water prior to their arrival.
Hoksbergen says no injuries were reported to people or livestock.
The fire department was assisted by the Rock Valley and Doon fire departments.
He says the cause of the fire appeared to be a malfunction in the ventilation fan.
Chief Hoksbergen reports that there was minimal damage to the building and the curtain.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for ten to fifteen minutes.
