Major fire in pig fattening facility: 66 animals die, millions in damage!

Major fire in pig fattening facility: 66 animals die, millions in damage!

Yesterday, a devastating fire in a pig fattening facility in Siedenbollentin, Mecklenburg Lake District, caused a stir. The fire department was alerted at 2:43 a.m. on Friday when the flames had already caused extensive damage. Around 100 emergency services from ten volunteer fire departments were on site to fight the fire. A stable measuring approximately 60 by 30 meters was completely burned out, with the result that an estimated 80 pigs were affected. Unfortunately, 66 of them died in the fire, while some animals were saved. All that remained in the background was a large pile of rubble and estimated damage in the millions, as the Ostsee-Zeitung reported.

The extinguishing work was particularly challenging. The fire brigade had problems getting an overview of the winding building because the roof of the stable had collapsed and everything was heavily smoked. In order to extinguish the fire, the emergency services had to use many breathing apparatus wearers, and a hose truck with oversized hoses from Demmin was mobilized to draw water from a swimming lake. It was a tough battle against the flames that finally ended at 8 a.m. that morning. The exact cause of the fire remains unclear and fire investigators arrived around 11 a.m. to investigate the incident.

The discussion about large pig fattening facilities

While the fire in Siedenbollentin became a local event, there is a worrying discussion across the country about large pig farms. A similar incident highlighted the risks associated with such operations. Hundreds of animals, including around 1,750 sows, burned in a facility in Arendsee, Altmark. The fire department reported an estimated 20,000 animals were killed, and significant property damage was also found here. There have been fire-related incidents in similar facilities in the past - around 60,000 animals died in another of the operator's facilities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

After these incidents, the Green Party's agricultural policy spokeswoman, Dorothea Frederking, called for large pig farms to be repatriated or converted. In their opinion, these facilities could become painful death traps for the animals. She points out that a rethink in agriculture is needed to prevent such tragedies in the future. Volksstimme reports on the repeated causes of fires in these companies and their consequences for animal husbandry in Germany.