Minn. barn fire kills nearly 1K pigs

LAFAYETTE, Minn. (AP) — A barn fire in south-central Minnesota has killed nearly 1,000 pigs.

The fire broke out early on Feb. 28 at a sow facility near Lafayette.

The owners of the sow operation, Steve and Mary Langhorst, noticed a flicker of light coming from one of the barns at about 5:30 a.m. The couple called 911 and firefighters responded immediately, but the facility was fully engulfed by the time they arrived, according to the Langhorsts’ son.

The Free Press of Mankato reports about 960 pigs died.

Langhorst Pork Inc. plans to rebuild the facility. The business has five full-time employees and three part-time employees.

The business says the cause of the fire has not been determined.