470 pigs die in barn fire

A barn fire in Levanger, Trøndelag, killed 470 pigs early Saturday, according to Trøndelag police district. No people were injured.

Emergency services were unable to save the barn, which was considered lost shortly after the fire was reported at 02:05, said Stig Lunde, operator at the 110 emergency call centre. Firefighters worked to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings on the farm, and all people were accounted for.

Operations leader Anlaug Oseid confirmed in a police log update around 1.5 hours after the initial report that no pigs had been rescued. Veterinarians and personnel for emergency slaughter were dispatched to the scene.

By Saturday morning, police still had no information on the cause of the fire, operations leader Svein Helgetun told Dagbladet. Firefighting efforts continued through the night, but the fire area remained too hot for investigators to enter. The site will be cordoned off, and investigations will begin as soon as possible.

The farmer is coping under the circumstances, Helgetun said, though naturally affected by the incident.