Farm fire caused by pedometer-eating pigs

March 10 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Britain said crews responding to a fire at a farm discovered the flames were caused by pigs eating a pedometer.

The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Tadcaster and Knaresbororough responded Saturday to reports of a fire on a farm near Bramham.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames that had spread to four pig pens without any injuries reported to humans or animals.

An investigation of the blaze found a pedometer that had been attached to a pig to prove that it is free range had been eaten by other pigs.

The firefighters said the pieces passed through the animals' digestive systems and when they came out the other side, copper from the batteries reacted with the animal waste and caused a fire to ignite.