A pig barn containing feeder pigs in eastern Geary County was engulfed in fire late Saturday night. According to Garry Berges, Geary County Rural Fire Chief, 911 dispatch received the call on the fire at 10467 Humboldt Creek Road on property owned by Phillip Goodyear. “Later on we learned that there were approximately 700 feeder pigs that were inside that ended up perishing due to the fire.”

The call was received by 911 dispatch at 10:14 p.m.  Eight Geary County rural fire units along with two support vehicles responded to the scene. Water support from Fort Riley Fire, Riley County Fire and Grandview Plaza Fire was requested and received. There were 20 Geary County firefighters and 12 firefighters from the mutual aid partners working at the scene. Berges noted that the fire was brought under control at approximately 30 minutes after midnight, with most of the firefighters released a bit after midnight, but three personnel and two trucks remained overnight until about 9:30 a.m. Sunday monitoring site.

Firefighters were able to protect an adjoining pig barn that housed an additional 700 pigs and two propane tanks that were in the immediate area.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this point, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called into assist Geary County Fire Investigator Curt Janke with the fire investigation. The ownership of the pigs still needs to be confirmed, and there is no dollar loss damage estimate yet on the building and the feeder pigs. Berges confirmed the investigation will be undertaken after authorities are able to get into the smoldering remains.