Rock Rapids, Iowa — A hog confinement was destroyed in a fire on Monday, June 21, 2021, near Rock Rapids.
According to Rock Rapids Fire Chief Ed Reck, about 11:10 a.m., the Rock Rapids Fire Department was called to the report of a hog barn on fire at 1035 Ibex Avenue, three miles north of Rock Rapids’ east side, two miles east, and a mile and a third north again.
The chief says the fire department saw the structure was fully involved with the roof caving in, along with lots of smoke and flame as they approached the scene. He says they used an exterior attack since the roof was already coming down.
Reck says there were 1200 100-pound pigs in the facility. All but 40 of them survived. No injuries were reported to people.
The fire department was assisted by George, Ellsworth, and Little Rock firefighters, and the Lyon County Ambulance Squad.
He says the cause of the fire appeared to be electrical in nature, but the cause is officially undetermined.
Chief Reck reports that the building was a total loss.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for about five hours.
