By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER

Ohio Correspondent

WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — A fire at Straathoff Swine Farm in southeast Fayette County is believed to have killed 5,000 hogs and caused in excess of $10 million damage, according to Chief Josh Hobbs, Ohio Fire Marshall’s Office.

The fire, located at 7111 Old Route 35, was reported to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Communication Center at a little after 1 p.m. June 19, said Thomas Youtz, Chief of the Washington Court House Fire Department, which was the first to arrive at the scene. The fire spread quickly throughout the facility causing intense heat and extremely heavy smoke, making it difficult for fire personnel to battle the interior of the fire, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s department.

“We were the first to pull in,” Youtz said. “We started attacking the fire. There was a barn on each side and a center piece where you could go between the barns. You could see a little bit of fire there; the black smoke had started to roll out there, and there was black smoke rolling out of the ends of the hog barns. We set up to try and get that fire in the utility room stopped so it wouldn’t spread to the other barns, but we were behind when it started.”

Youtz later injured his arm at the fire and was taken to the Fayette County Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released.

As the fire intensified, members of several Fayette County fire departments battled the blaze, but additional fire departments from Ross, Highland, Pickaway, and Greene counties were called to help with manpower and tankers for water. The Fayette County Emergency Management Agency and Fayette County EMS also responded to the scene, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

Firefighters were on the scene more than eight hours, said Chief David Bivens. Chief Deputy Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.

“The barns were totally destroyed, and all swine in the barns perished in the fire,” Bivens said.

Investigators have not yet discovered the cause of the blaze and The Ohio Fire Marshall’s Office doesn’t have a loss estimate yet. They are being told it will be in excess of $10 to $12 million not only in property but product loss, Hobbs said. Investigators are on the scene. The insurance company will determine the loss.

“I was not on the scene but there were two buildings connected by a common breezeway type utility room,” he said. “When a fire of that magnitude and that dollar loss occurs we are notified. We investigate fires exceeding $500 thousand damage.”