18 pigs killed in northern Iowa ban fire

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) - Eighteen pigs have died in a fire that destroyed a barn on the north side of Clear Lake in northern Iowa.

The fire was reported just before 3 a.m. Wednesday. Authorities say the animal losses included two sows and 11 piglets.

Clear Lake Fire Chief Doug Meyers says the property owner discovered the fire when power to the farmstead was lost. The building was used by students for 4-H projects.

Meyers says the fire probably was caused by a portable heat source coming into contact with combustibles.