Multi-million dollar blaze destroys Huron County barns
Flames still flicker from an early morning blaze that claimed a trio of barns on a farm near Holmesville, Ont. on Wednesday.
“There was a lot of damage. It was an old bank barn. They [farm owners] estimate over 100 years old. The second floor was already down by the time we got there, so it went really, really fast,” said Central Huron Fire Chief, Dave Renner.
Firefighters from five Huron County stations, including an aerial truck from Goderich, battled the blaze that is still smoking, hours later.
14 cattle and nine chickens perished in the fire, but firefighters were able to rescue 11 cattle and two sheep, before the three barn buildings came crashing down.
“It could have been a lot worse. If we’d had the winds from last week, it would have been a completely different outcome,” added Renner.
A barn fire near Clinton, Ont. caused millions of dollars in damages in the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2022. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
The fire, which started around 12:45 a.m. last night, is not considered suspicious. The damage is so extensive, and Renner said the cause would go down as undetermined.
“It’s hard on the family. Their livelihood is still up and running, though. The dairy barn is still running, so we were happy for that. But, it could have been a lot worse, for sure,” said Renner.
A barn fire near Clinton, Ont. caused millions of dollars in damages in the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2022. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)
A large quantity of straw, animal feed and equipment was also lost in the blaze, pushing the damage estimate into the millions of dollars.
“We are probably talking two to three million dollars damage done to the buildings. The Fire Marshall’s office was alerted to the fire due to the damage figure, but did not attend the scene,” added Renner.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.