ALBION- A large fire near Albion has claimed the lives of approximately 10,000 hogs, according to the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department. The fire occurred on the business’ property located approximately 17 miles west of Petersburg, according to Petersburg Fire Chief Neil Baumgartner. The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department received the first call at 3:14 a.m. on Wednesday, Baumgartner said.

“When I arrived on scene, it (the fire) had already (come) through the roof. So it was … a very long, very, very large building long and probably 70-feet wide, I suppose,” Baumgartner said. “(It was) very hard to control being the building is tin – tin on the inside (and) tin on the outside … and it ran through the attic, and we could not stop it.”

The incident remains under investigation, according to Baumgartner. Jim Pillen, owner of Pillen Family Farms and University of Nebraska Regent has announced his candidacy for governor in 2022

The cause is still under investigation, but Baumgartner said there had been construction on-site previously.

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