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
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.