Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Fewer hogs die in fires, but safer barns urged

Animal-rights activists push for alarms, sprinklers

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 01/18/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

The number of hogs that died in Manitoba fires dropped dramatically last year, but animal-welfare activists are still pushing for tougher regulations governing industrial barns.

About 5,900 hogs died in a pair of Manitoba barn fires in 2009, according to preliminary statistics compiled by the provincial fire commissioner's office.

That's down from a staggering death toll of 30,569 hogs in seven separate fires in 2008, the worst year on record for the province's pork industry.

"It's better. What we get from time to time are blips. The countryside is not burning down," said Andrew Dickson, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council. "You get (fires at) one or two big barns and it throws the total through the loop."

As the size of the average hog barn increases, so does the average death toll for each individual fire, Dickson said.

His embattled industry, which is already weathering low pork prices and a provincial moratorium on new barn construction, took part in a series of consultations with the provincial fire commissioner's office in 2009 about new building regulations governing barns.

Those meetings wrapped up in September and a report will be delivered to the provincial Building Standards Board on Jan. 27, provincial fire commissioner Chris Jones said.

The recommendations, which ultimately require approval from Labour Minister Jennifer Howard, would create standards for farm buildings such as hog barns. The absence of building codes for these structures dates back to the 1970s, when agriculture was dominated by small family farms.

But new standards likely won't affect the hog industry, as they would only apply to new barns. The provincial moratorium prevents the construction of new hog barns in most of southern Manitoba.

Animal-welfare activists want the standards to be retroactive. Hog barns should have heat alarms and sprinkler systems, said Twyla Francois, a Winnipeg-based investigator for Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Food Animals.

"Industry likes to believe hogs are killed immediately by smoke inhalation, but that's not the case. Industry says they die peacefully in their sleep, but they don't," she said. "We have evidence they panic and try to get out. They're getting burned alive."

Francois said pork producers could use a portion of their bailout funds to retrofit barns. But sprinklers won't work in rural areas without water services, Dickson countered.

Hog farms are not going to spend money improving their facilities during a provincial moratorium, he added. During last year's consultations, his industry told the fire commissioner it is more concerned with preventing human deaths in barn fires and developing better plans to prevent fires in rural areas.

"There was a very strong sense there needed to be a fire safety plan worked out between the fire department and the farmer," Jones said.

The fire commissioner said he has not seen evidence of arson or anything suspicious in investigations of hog-barn fires, though maintenance is a concern during tough economic times.

The pork industry has always bristled at the suggestion farmers would burn their assets or allow animals to die. Hogs, buildings and equipment are difficult to replace and insurance rates skyrocket following fires, Dickson said.

"Producers do not want fires," he said.

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca

These little piggies did not go to market

Hog fatalities in Manitoba fires during the past five years, according to the provincial fire commissioner's office:

2005: 4,024

2006: 7,387

2007: 3,700

2008: 30,559

2009: 5,900*

* preliminary figure

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 18, 2010 A8

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

More Local

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.