(Photo courtesy Ken Huls, Sibley Fire Department Chief)Sibley, Iowa — A devastating fire southwest of Sibley has claimed the lives of approximately 2,400 hogs and caused an estimated one million dollars in damage.
The Sibley Fire Department was called to a hog confinement building located at 4847 195th Street—about six miles southwest of Sibley. Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls says that when firefighters arrived, the structure was already fully involved in flames.
The building’s owner reported that roughly 2,400 head of 200-pound hogs perished in the blaze. While the official cause remains under investigation, investigators are looking into a possible electrical issue in the attic and ceiling area.
Quick Multi-Agency Response
Due to the size of the fire, mutual aid was immediately requested. Fire departments from Ashton and Little Rock responded to the scene, and the George Fire Department was later paged for additional water and manpower assistance.
In all, about 30 firefighters spent roughly four hours battling the blaze, using over 50,000 gallons of water to fully extinguish the flames.
Defending Against the Wind
Crews faced an extra challenge from a strong west wind, which began blowing embers into an adjacent standing cornfield to the east.
Sibley firefighters immediately focused water streams on two 1,000-gallon propane tanks near the burning building, as well as the threatened cornfield.
The field’s owner stepped in quickly, combining the standing corn and then disking the stalks to create a firebreak. Thanks to these combined efforts, no corn was damaged in the incident.
Cleanup and Assistance
Pete Clauson Excavating was called to the scene with an excavator to pull the structure apart, allowing firefighters to reach flames trapped underneath the collapsed steel roof.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Department and Osceola County Ambulance also assisted at the scene. No human injuries were reported.
