Fire Breaks Out Overnight at Illinois Pig Farm

Apr 17, 2023

A fire broke out at Cedar Ridge Farms, a seedstock swine operation owned and operated by the six sons of the late Fred and Betty Grohmann near Red Bud, Ill., early on April 14.

Multiple area fire departments from Red Bud, Hecker, New Athens, Baldwin and Waterloo responded to the blaze in a hog building that caught fire shortly after midnight, the Republic-Times reports. The fire resulted in substantial damage to the structure as well as the loss of several pigs.

The Grohmanns told local reporters that the cause of the fire and the cost of damages and losses are not yet known. However, they said things could have been worse. One of the barns was completely empty and the other had hogs they were getting ready to send to market, many of which had recently been shipped.

Click here to see more...

Video: Managing Severe PRRS Outbreaks - Dr. Claire Mtezankuni

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Claire Mtezankuni, Swine Veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service, discusses the growing severity of PRRS outbreaks in sow farms. She explains how respiratory disease and sow mortality are changing outbreak response, why necropsies and bacterial cultures can guide treatment, and how vaccination, biosecurity, pain management, and clear team communication support recovery and elimination. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Emerging PRRS strains can produce severe reproductive and respiratory disease simultaneously, creating substantial health challenges across sow farms during acute outbreaks.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Claire Mtezankuni / claire-mtezankuni-2529b1b3 is a Swine Veterinarian at Carthage Veterinary Service in Illinois, where her work includes commercial farm veterinary leadership, herd health, disease elimination, and veterinary internship coordination. She holds a DVM from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Veterinary Science in Livestock Systems Health from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Learn more from Dr. Claire Mtezankuni on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.