State fire marshals say it wasn't foul play, but they're still trying to figure out what caused a fire that killed about 5,000 pigs at a farm in Fayette County.
The fire that began Tuesday afternoon engulfed two barns at the Straathoff Swine Farm, about 45 miles southwest of Columbus.
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office says the flames spread quickly, causing heavy smoke and intense heat. Thirteen fire agencies worked to get the upper hand on the blaze.
"This was a large facility, on the top end of sizes in the state of Ohio, but this is a typical setup for a barn like this," says Mark Bruce, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Agriculture spokesman. "But it was two separate structures all part of one overall facility."
Bruce says ODA will follow the cleanup of the burned hog farm.
"As a permitted facility, the Department of Agriculture's role is to ensure the environmental compliance standards that these facilities must meet are followed as the cleanup continues,” Bruce says.
Bruce says the animal carcasses will be disposed at a sanitary landfill.
One firefighter injured his arm at the scene. He was treated at a hospital and later released.
ODA has permitted 85 hog farms that have at least 2,500 hogs.
