Weekend barn fire in Wellington County kills over 200 cattle, causes millions in damage
Wellington North Fire Service (WNFS) says over 200 cattle died following an accidental barn fire on Saturday afternoon in a rural community near Arthur.
Firefighters from multiple stations responded to the barn fire at a rural residence south of Conn – a small community just north of Arthur – on Saturday around 3:30 p.m.
Fire officials say an unknown number of cattle died in a barn fire near Arthur on Aug. 26, 2032. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)
Around 60 firefighters from eight stations including Arthur, Mt. Forest, Clifford, Harriston, Palmerston, Shelburne, Dundalk and Grand Valley attended the fire.
“Upon arrival, there was heavy smoke and flames visible out of the second floor of the building,” WNFS said in a news release. “The building was a beef barn holding approximately 300 head of cattle.”
The building collapsed, and the estimated damages is between $2 and $3 million.
"The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental in nature, starting in hay that had been piled in the barn. The damage is estimated to be between two and three million dollars," WNFS said.
On Saturday, when speaking to CTV News Kitchener, Chris Harrow, director of fire services for Wellington North and Minto, said he expected the number of dead cattle to be over 100.
Harrow added that neighbours helped to get cattle out and to safety.
“We were called to smoke and possible flames coming from a barn. Upon our arrival with our first crew out of the Mount Forest station, we found the heavy smoke coming form the barn, and shortly thereafter, the flames coming through the roof,” Harrow said.
Within 10 minutes of their arrival, Harrow said the building collapsed in one corner, and shortly after that the entire building collapsed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.