Fire Damages SWP Hog Barn

REGINA - Mar 18/04 - SNS -- Fire damaged part of the farrowing site and killed several animals at one of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool's (SWP) affiliated hog operations. No employees were hurt.

The Pool is the majority shareholder in Bear Hills Pork Producers out of Perdue, Saskatchewan. The barn, a farrowing barn with sows and piglets, caught fire around 11 p.m., March 17.

An emergency monitoring system notified barn management, and fire crews from Biggar and Perdue brought the fire under control by about 3 a.m. the following morning, enabling the company to preserve an adjacent gestation barn and the animals within.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. It is also too early to estimate the damage to the operations.

"While the fire damage to the barn and the loss of the animals inside are certainly unfortunate, I am pleased with the swift response of employees and the local fire departments," said Martin Klinger, Director of Environment Health and Safety for the Pool. "The staff's attention to appropriate safety and notification procedures helped to ensure that no employees were put at risk, and at the same time, limited the extent of the damage."

The Pool announced last week that it is exiting the pork industry and that it is actively engaged in a divestiture process, which it hopes to conclude over the next few months.

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