A fire in a Co. Tyrone farm resulted in the death of a number of pigs, despite the best efforts of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) in putting out the blaze.
The fire happened in a farmyard shed on a pig farm on the Gorey Road in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.
It occurred at 9.30p.m on Friday, March 8, and was attended by NIFRS crews from six different fire stations; Dungannon, Pomeroy, Cookstown, Portadown, Omagh and Dungiven.
The crews used breathing apparatus, water and foam jets to put out the fire at the pig farm.
Unfortunately, the NIFRS confirmed that: “Sadly a number of pigs died and the cause of the fire is still being investigated.”
After putting out the fire, the NIFRS left the scene three hours after the blaze had started, at 12:31a.m yesterday (Saturday, March 9).
Democractic Uninionist Party (DUP) councillor Mark Robinson from the Clogher Valley said the fire was: “Very distressing news for the farming family involved, generations of genetics lost through this tragedy, never mind the financial loss, and the day to day impact it will have on running their business.
“People don’t really understand the stress, and mental impact a tragedy like this can have on the farmer and their family,” Robinson added.
The Co. Tyrone councillor offered “a massive thank you to our emergency services, especially Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service being promptly on the scene and for the dangerous job they do”.
Mournes councillor for the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Jill Truesdale called the fire “horrendous,” due to “The noise, the smell, the guys trying to get it under control, the phenomenal death toll, the mess, the clean up
Truesdale added that the pigs killed in the fire are an “absolutely dreadful loss”.
