ST. MARYS — A farmer was left with a flattened pile of rubble after an early morning fire on Jan. 9 destroyed a barn and 1,800 pigs, causing $1 million in damages.
The fire broke out just before 6 a.m. at John Van Ness’s farm in Perth South Township in Perth County. Firefighters were on scene by 6:15 a.m. St. Marys Fire Chief Richard Anderson said that the fire was considered to be under control, meaning it was not progressing, by 7:30 a.m. The barn was only three years old.
About 1,800 pigs, all in the 60 to 90 lb. range, were lost in the fire. The cause of the fire is undetermined, said Anderson, but is not considered to be suspicious.
