A massive fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon in a barn in Reusel in the Netherlands, near the border with Belgium, killing 3000 pigs, the fire department confirmed.
The pigs were locked up in the barn and couldn’t escape when the fire started. Emergency services were alerted just before 2:30 pm and responded with significant resources.
The fire department tried to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby barns. After a few hours of firefighting, the blaze was brought under control.
The fire produced a substantial amount of smoke, possibly containing particles from solar panels installed on the barn’s roof, the fire department warned.
Animal welfare
Barn fires are not uncommon in the Netherlands, often causing significant damage and leading to the loss of many animals’ lives. They pose a serious risk to animal welfare in the country.
Large numbers of animals are frequently locked up in barns, and fires can result in the loss of hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of animal lives in a single incident.
Electrical failures are the most common cause of barn fires. The Dutch government, farmers, and animal welfare groups have been working to implement preventive measures. Barns built after 2014 are required to comply with stricter fire safety regulations, including the installation of smoke detectors and sprinkler systems.
In 2022 alone, a total of 42 barn fires were reported across the country, killing over 130,000 animals. So far, in 2023, there have been 13 barn fires where horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, calves, sheep, lambs and rabbits were killed.
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