MADISON COUNTY, Ohio — A massive barn fire in Madison County has claimed the lives of approximately 6,000 pigs, according to fire officials.
The Scioto Valley Guardian first reported the large fire at 3180 Davis Road SW after emergency crews were dispatched around noon on Wednesday. Responding departments arrived to find a large barn fully engulfed in flames.
Fire officials later confirmed to Columbus media outlets that thousands of animals perished in the blaze. Reports says 6,000 were lost.
The market value of the lost swine can be estimated using current U.S. hog prices from USDA data.
Assuming these were typical market-ready hogs (average live weight around 291 lbs, or carcass weight of 216.86 lbs), the national average negotiated carcass price is $91.21 per hundredweight (cwt). This translates to roughly $198 per hog.
The total estimated market value for 6,000 hogs would therefore be approximately a loss of $1,188,000, not including the buildings.
The fire required a significant response from multiple agencies as firefighters worked to contain the flames that spread to other buildings.
Authorities have not yet released an official cause of the fire. The investigation remains ongoing.
No injuries have been reported at this time.
Additional details are expected pending the outcome of the investigation.
Editor’s Note: The article has been updated to include the following statement from the Ohio Fire Marshal’s Office regarding the fire:
The State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau is investigating this fire. The fire involved several barns and multiple buildings were destroyed.
As of yesterday evening, that is all the information investigators provided me. They are back at the scene today continuing the investigation and as soon as I get an update, I will pass along any new information.