‘Lucky' escape

March 26, 2006

DAWN DE BUSK

Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - When 18-year-old Melissa Windell went outside to check on a sow that was preparing to give birth, clouds of black smoke poured out of the building where 49 piglets and several sows lived. A few minutes later, a tiny piglet with burnt ears escaped through the open door.

&#8220My daughter, she's unhappy. She was pretty upset,” Keven Windell said.

The March 14 fire destroyed the structure and claimed the lives of all but one piglet, as well as a turkey and two chickens, which the family considered pets. Eight sows and one boar were outdoors at the time of the fire, Windell said.

&#8220I don't know how she (the piglet) got out. The panels on her pen were too close for her to squeeze through,” Melissa said, watching the tiny pig rub its peeling skin against the board of its temporary home. &#8220She must have climbed out.”

The piglets were Melissa's 4-H project, and many Valley residents involved in 4-H planned to purchase piglets from the Windell's farm this year, Melissa said.

&#8220We still have three pigs that haven't had their babies yet. They're due in three weeks,” Keven Windell said.

He said two farmers from Fairbanks - Jerry Marlow and Bob Franklin - plan to ship a truckload of pigs from Canada, and those pigs should be available for Valley kids starting 4-H projects this spring. Also some people in Kenny Lake will have some stock for 4-H members, Melissa said.

Melissa was on spring break from school the afternoon of the fire. Heavy gusts blew chunks of hot metal roof around the property as three fire departments fought the flames and protected a nearby storage shed and other buildings located near Mile 2 Fairview Loop, Windell said. The burnt farm building was about 200 yards from the family's home, he said.

&#8220Fortunately, it is still winter and we didn't have to worry about brush fires,” he said. Windell estimates the livestock was worth $10,000, and it would cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to replace the structure.

Windell suspects one of the female pigs knocked down a heat lamp or chewed a cord, causing a short circuit.

&#8220I try to keep those where they can't get them, but those old sows are pretty smart,” he said. &#8220The piglets were all spoiled rotten. They ranged from a week and a half to 4 weeks. We had a couple of litters that were already weaned, and they were ready to be moved out of there in a couple days.” The outpouring of assistance and generosity has moved Windell.

&#8220It amazes me how good the people are around here,” he said. &#8220A bunch of 4-H kids and Boy Scouts were out here on Friday or Saturday. They helped me clean things. They were a big help. I've had a lot of help from the community, the whole Valley. There's some great people out here, just great. I've had people come out and help me build some pens.”

On Saturday, following the fire, Jenny Wren and some other people involved in 4-H held a bake sale in conjunction with the district baking contest to raise money for the Windells. The 4-H club donated a pig to Melissa, a young female or guild that someone had purchased from the Windells last year.

Raising pigs in South-central Alaska can be a problematic task.

&#8220With the livestock, mostly it's wintertime that's the challenge - keeping them in bedding and keeping them warm,” Windell said.

&#8220The other problem is getting new genetics. We've been doing AI, artificial insemination, to get new genetics. And have it air freighted in. Your livestock are just like people. If you don't bring in a new bloodline, you start having problems,” he said.

The piglet that escaped the fire looks likely to survive.

&#8220The one little piglet got out, she's still alive. She breathed a lot of smoke and got burnt. Her skin has been peeling like a bad sunburn. Most of her ears got burned,” Windell said.

Melissa has been spoiling the piglet, which won't be a good show pig because of the burnt ears but will have a future raising litters, he said.

&#8220Lucky is what we call her,” Windell said. &#8220I don't if that's going to stick or not.”

Contact Dawn De Busk at 352-2252 or dawn.debusk@ frontiersman.com.