Fire at an Ohio farm complex kills about 6,000 hogs and smoke is visible for miles

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LONDON, Ohio (AP) — A fire at an Ohio hog farm complex has killed about 6,000 of the animals, an official said.

A large column of smoke could be seen in the distance on Wednesday from Fine Oak Farms in London, Chief Brian Bennington of the Central Townships Joint Fire District said in a statement.

Two of five large agricultural buildings were “heavily involved in fire” as firefighters arrived, Bennington said. Multiple fire departments were called to help. The complex housed about 7,500 hogs, he said.

Firefighters faced sustained winds of about 20 mph (32 kph), with gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56 kph), which accelerated the fire's spread, Bennington said. Extensive water shuttle operations were needed due to limited water supply in the rural area, he said. It took five hours to bring the fire under control.

No people were hurt. The Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause and origin of the fire. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson at this time.

The farm is in Madison County, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Columbus.