Curious pig blamed for starting NY barn blaze

Curious pig blamed for starting NY barn blaze

ORANGE, N.Y. (AP) — A curious pig is being blamed for starting a fire in a barn at an animal rescue sanctuary in New York’s Finger Lakes region.

Officials in the Schuyler County town of Orange say four people were treated for injuries but no animals were hurt after the fire broke out around 9:40 a.m. Wednesday at Farm Sanctuary.

A spokeswoman for the organization says the fire started in a barn sheltering pigs, calves and goats when one of the pigs apparently knocked off the top of a water heater, causing nearby straw to ignite.

Sanctuary workers evacuated the animals and moved hay bales away from the flames. Four workers were treated for smoke inhalation and released.

Officials tell the Elmira Star-Gazette that pigs are inquisitive creatures and this one apparently got curious about the heater.