Fire at an Ohio farm complex kills about 6,000 hogs and smoke is visible
for miles
[February 27, 2026]
By PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS, KATHY McCORMACK and LEAH
WILLINGHAM
LONDON, Ohio (AP) — A fire at an Ohio hog farm complex killed about
6,000 pigs and unleashed a large plume of smoke that could be seen for
miles across the rural landscape, an official said.
Multiple fire departments responded amid sustained winds of about 20 mph
(32 kph) and gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56 kph), which accelerated the
fire’s spread, and because water supplies in the area were limited,
extensive water shuttle operations were needed. Two of five large
agricultural buildings were “heavily involved in fire,” and it took five
hours to bring it under control, Chief Brian Bennington of the Central
Townships Joint Fire District said.
About 1,500 hogs survived and were taken elsewhere, he said. No people
were hurt. Bennington said the hog waste stored below the buildings was
contained, with no concern for impacts on surrounding groundwater.
An Associated Press reporter visited Fine Oak Farms on Thursday, a day
after the fire. A little bit of smoke could still be seen rising from
the burned down area. A darkened structure was partially collapsed, and
charred debris was piled beside several darkened metal silos where
flames had ripped through. But the impact appeared concentrated in one
area of the farm complex, with other nearby buildings left largely
intact.
The Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire's cause
and origin. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson at this time.
An email seeking information was sent to the office.
Records filed with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office show that the
business, in Madison County near the community of London, about 25 miles
(40 kilometers) southwest of Columbus, was registered in 2017, and that
Dave Heisler was named its agent. Email and phone messages were sent
Thursday to Heisler, and related messages were sent via social media to
another business he is affiliated with. A man who identified himself as
the business operations manager declined to comment.
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In this grab from video made available by WSYX, smoke rises from a
fire at an Ohio hog farm complex, in Madison County, Wednesday, Feb.
25, 2026. (WSYX via AP)
A phone message seeking comment also was left with a spokesperson
for the Ohio Pork Council.
As of January, more than 99,000 farm animals had been killed in U.S.
barn fires already this year, according to statistics compiled by
the Animal Welfare Institute. The vast majority of those were
chickens killed in separate large barn fires in North Carolina and
Georgia in January. Before Thursday, three of the dozen barn fires
recorded so far this year were in Ohio, killing 162 sheep, cows,
horses and other animals.
Allie Granger, a policy adviser for the Animal Welfare Institute,
called the Ohio incident “a very horrific event” and called for a
thorough investigation. “We’re very devastated to see that the fire
has happened,” she said. “Unfortunately, these events are a little
more common than most people think.”
——
McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire, and Willingham
reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Julie Carr Smyth in
Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this story.
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