The national branch of the Humane Society is calling on politicians to mandate measures to improve safety in barns.
Sayara Thurston, a campaign manager with the Humane Society International/Canada, says this winter’s rash of barn fires has prompted “enormous animal suffering and loss of life,” that could have been mitigated if the barns had smoke detectors and sprinkler systems installed.
“The fact that this happens on an almost weekly basis is reprehensible, and authorities need to take immediate action,” she said in a statement.
“Urgent updates are needed to national and provincial building and fire codes to require that all barns that house animals be deemed safe for their occupancy.”
Several barn fires have killed animals in southern Ontario since the beginning of 2016, including:
- Forty-three racehorses, including many well known in the Ontario harness community, were killed in a fire at Classy Lane Training Centre in Puslinch on Jan. 4
- An unknown number of chickens died Jan. 12 when fire broke out at a barn on Line 84 near Listowel
- On Jan. 15, 12 horses housed at a farm on Highway 89 just outside Mount Forest were killed in a fire
- A fire at a barn near Delaware, west of London, killed about 500 milking goats and 30 cattle on Jan. 17
- Two days later, fire claimed the lives of more than 2,000 pigs and caused $1.1 million in damage to a farm near Parkhill, northwest of London
- An estimated 182 pigs were killed in a barn fire north of Stratford, on Line 49 near Monkton, on Jan. 23
- Nearly 1,000 pigs died Feb. 21 when fire broke out at their farm on Fansville Line near Hensall
- On Feb. 25, 50 cows and 20 calves were killed in a barn fire on Concession 12 in Brockton, near Walkerton
- Nine horses died in a fire Feb. 27 at the Darkin Riding Stables in Otterville, south of Woodstock
Investigators have not suggested suspicious activity as a likely cause for any of the fires.
The lack of safety measures in barns also puts first responders at risk, Thurston said.
