By 
THE owner of 450 pigs that died in a fire at a Newtownstewart farm on Sunday night has said he is ‘heartbroken’ by the loss.
Emergency services were called to the scene on Fyfin Road at around 10.45pm, where a large shed was reported to be alight. Fire crews from Newtownstewart, Strabane, Kilrea, Castlederg and Omagh attended, supported by a Specialist Support Vehicle from Omagh, a Water Tanker from Pomeroy and Aerial Support from Northland Fire Station.
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed that the blaze had a devastating impact on the livestock.
“Unfortunately, approximately 450 pigs died in the incident,” the spokesperson said.
“The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental ignition, and the incident was dealt with by 2.58am.”
In a statement today, the farm owner Andy McGowan, of Young Pigs Ltd, expressed his deep sadness over the tragedy.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a tragic fire occurred on our farm near Newtownstewart on Sunday evening, resulting in the loss of approximately 450 pigs,” the statement read.
“Thanks to the rapid response from our family and the courageous actions of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, the fire was contained within four hours and prevented from spreading to other buildings on the farm.”
Mr McGowan thanked emergency services for their swift and effective response and said they were co-operating fully with the ongoing investigation.
“This is a heartbreaking time for our family and team,” they added.
“The welfare of our animals is at the core of everything we do, and the scale of this loss is devastating. We would kindly ask for privacy as we start to recover from this distressing incident.”
SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan described the news as ‘terrible’.
“My thoughts are with the farm owners and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss,” he said.
