Barn Fires Across Perth County

Saturday, 15 December 2018 07:40

The past few days have seen a slew of barn fires in our region.

PERTH COUNTY - Farmers are being reminded about fire prevention after a couple of devastating and costly barn fires in Ontario.

In the span of few days a reported 1200 pigs were killed in a $1 million dollar loss barn fire in Quinte West, a farmer lost calves in Wilmot Township and on Thursday a barn fire in Norfolk County resulted in an estimated $6 million dollars in damages.

The fire departments in Perth County are reminding all farmers about fire prevention and asking them to be proactive with their barns. Pert East and Pert West Fire Chief Bill Hunter says a single barn fire has a ripple effect in the community.

"When a fire wipes out your barn, livestock, crop or equipment, you can't just go to the store and replace that the next day. Some of these families have spent generations on their breeding programs, only to literally watch it go up in flames. There are businesses, like feed & supply companies, that rely on these farms to be up and running. There is more at stake than just the barn."

Every barn is at risk of a fire, not just the traditional small bank bars. Municipalities are seeing multi-million dollar barns being built - plus the cost of livestock, equipment and crops. With that level of expenditure, farmers are urged to invest in fire safety; a comparatively small investment to protect their entire livelihood.
Chief Hunter stressed the importance of prevention.

There are simple, inexpensive steps you can take, like general housekeeping and checking your wires and appliances on a regular basis. Contact your local fire department to arrange a visit. Our staff will come with a thermal imaging camera and tour the buildings with you to check for hot spots and offer fire safety tips. We'll work with you on a fire safety plan that’s customized to your property. We don't charge a fee; we just want a fire-safe farm community."

For more info on farm fire safety please visit the fire department pages at https://www.westperth.com or https://www.pertheast.ca, or contact the Fire Department to arrange for a free fire safety plan for your farm property.

When scheduling a property tour, please ensure you list any biosecurity measures in effect at your property.