(Le Mars) — Firefighters from Le Mars, Oyens, and Hinton were dispatched last evening at about 11:20 p.m., and worked at least four hours into the night at a hog barn that caught on fire. The fire was located at 26491 Noble Avenue, approximately twelve miles south-southeast of Le Mars. The fire was reported by a passerby who was returning home after visiting the Plymouth County Fair. The witness says she saw flames coming from the hog barn’s roof and notified officials. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the barn was totally engulfed with flames shooting from the roof. Chief Dave Schipper describes the scene when firefighters arrived.
The roof of the hog barn building had collapsed shortly after firefighters had arrived at the scene. At the time of the fire, Schipper says there were not any hogs inside the facility.
Schipper says the owner had recently cleaned the building using a power washer.
Although the investigation as to the cause and origin of the fire is still ongoing, Schipper says the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department have witnessed this same scenario several times during the last five years. Schipper believes the methane gas found in the pits of the hog barns is stirred up after the power washing of the facility, and then is ignited causing some
explosions and ultimately fires. The hog barn is listed as a total loss.
