How Great The Yield From A Fertile Field: Sunday Evening Excitement

We enjoyed a blessed Sunday with the Covenant Chamber Choir visiting church this weekend, then we attended a wedding reception in Fairbury in the afternoon. We took our time coming home, stopping to check a rain gauge at a distant field, and then ice cream with family in Eureka.

It was a beautiful evening and my brother and his wife were sitting outside enjoying it and facing the farm (a mile away). A little after 9:00, he saw a flash of flame from one of our hog houses, and they jumped in a vehicle and headed for the farm. We had just gotten home and were relaxing in the house when he called and said one of our hog buildings was on fire. I slipped on boots, hat, and gloves and headed out. The fire was on the north section of a building and that section was currently empty. The only visible flames were on the East side of the building where the insulated curtain was in flames. We got a garden hose stretched out from inside the building and were able to get the flames knocked down from the burning curtain as the fire department arrived. We turned off the LP from the tank, and flipped off all electrical breakers feeding that part of the building. It was obvious that the attic was filled with fire by the presence of smoke and sparks pouring from the ridge vent. We advised the fire crews about access, layout, and where there were pigs, and they went to work. They were able to get water into the attic before the flames broke through the roof. The trusses were burned and charred, and the insulation was charred and smoldering. Soaking the smoldering insulation would bring the aluminum lined ceiling down, so they tore it down first. Then they soaked the insulation along with the walls and trusses.

Because we have no fire hydrants in the country, they had called three other departments to bring tanker trucks of water. When the first pumper engine pulled in our driveway, it started dropping a large feeder hose as it drove back to the hog buildings. The second pumper that arrived sat in the driveway and they hooked to the front end of the feeder hose and set up two 3500 gallon holding pools. Four tanker trucks parked on the road to shuttle water from town to the holding pools. They pumped water from the road all the way back to the engine that was actively fighting the fire. An ambulance, rescue truck, and several other support vehicles were also here. Being Sunday evening, they had a good turnout of firemen, so there must have been 30 to 40 of them at the peak of the action. Washington was the lead department, but we also had Eureka, Northern Tazewell, and Germantown Hills. We are thankful for their efforts and expertise.

The Red Cross truck and Daniel L. showed up to provide snacks and drinks. Two of the Red Cross volunteers took a liking to Gus and were feeding him snacks and water. He was in his glory with all the attention and food he got!

By about 12:30, they believed they had all the hot spots knocked out and had soaked everything possible. They started tear down and clean up, and the last truck left the yard at about 1:10. I think I made it to bed by 1:45. I got up and looked out the window twice during the night to make sure there was no smoke rising. This morning, we did find two spots where insulation was still smoldering. The garden hose took care of them.
We are not sure what started the fire, but the fire officials think it was an electrical short on the North wall that burned up the wall and into the attic. Another twenty minutes undetected and we may have lost the whole building along with 500 pigs. And the one beside it with another 500 head.
We feel very fortunate and blessed.