Up to 2,000 pigs perish in 'accidental' Kilkeel blaze
Last updated 8th Sep 2020
Up to 2,000 pigs have died in a fire on a farm in Co Down.
Firefighters were called to the blaze in Kilkeel shortly before 9 last night (Monday).
Four fire appliances attended the scene in Carrigenagh Road and worked to prevent the flames spreading from a shed housing the pigs to adjacent farm buildings.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 pigs are believed to have been killed.
One fire worker suffered minor burns to his feet in the incident. He was taken to hospital for treatment.
Assistant Group Commander Martin Healy from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said four pumping appliances attended the scene along with an animal rescue team, a command support unit and a water tanker he said:
“Fire fighters worked in very difficult conditions under foot and in difficult lighting to stop the fire spread to adjacent buildings housing other pigs.
“However, it’s believed that’s approximately 1,500 to 2,000 pigs have perished as a result of the blaze.
“The fire was brought under control by 11.50pm and at this moment we believe the cause to the fire is accidental.”
Mournes Councillor Glyn Hanna who knows the farmer, Trevor Shields, said he has been left devastated.
“Three pig houses were burnt which is totally devastating for the farmer himself who produces pigs. The Shields family have been producing pigs for nearly 80 years.
"The three particular pig houses that were destroyed in the fire were the farrowing pig houses, where the sows are kept and where the breeding stock is pretty much kept.
"With the loss of these three pig houses that pretty much destroys a massive number of the blood lines which were extremely important to the pig industry.
"These blood lines have travelled all over the world from China to Brazil to Mexico to North America.
"This is devastating for this particular farmer as there’s over two thousand pigs have been killed.
"It’s knocked his breeding line off and his pig production has been devastated.
"This farmer puts away about 400 to 500 pigs per week, so this has knocked the whole thing completely astray. "
According to Cllr Hanna the Shields family have been farming in the Mournes for at least a hundred years he said:
“They’re pig producers for at least 80 or 90 of those years.
“His father Tommy Shields before him bred pigs for years and his grandfather before that, so this is devastating for this particular family.
“They’ve lost 2,000 plus pigs which will substantially damage his production for some considerable time.”