Fire officials said that 19 pigs were killed in a fully engulfed barn fire outside of Woodstock early Friday morning.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded around 1:40 a.m. to the 15300 block of Saint Patrick Road in unincorporated Woodstock for a report of a barn on fire.
A passerby called 911 and firefighters arrived to find a 50-foot by 75-foot barn fully engulfed in flames, Woodstock Fire/Rescue Captain Brendan Parker said.
Parker said that several pigs escaped the barn but 19 pigs were found dead. No residents or firefighters were injured during the blaze. Saint Patrick Road was closed for almost three hours as crews worked at the scene.
The cause of the fire is believed to be faulty electrical equipment inside the barn, Parker said. Damage was estimated at approximately $20,000.
Firefighters from Harvard, Hebron, Union, Marengo and Wonder Lake either assisted at the scene or covered Woodstock fire stations during the call.