The article below is concerning the sheep and barn of a fellow sheep breeder who belongs to our association. If anyone has any ideas for a fund-raising project to help these people-who do not have insurance on the animals or the barn-please contact me. The 200 plus sheep which were lost were all pregnant ewes ready to lamb any day. That is a great loss. Fortunately another 800 sheep managed to escape unharmed.
More than 250 sheep killed in $400,000 barn fire
Courtesy of the Toronto SunW. Brice McVicar, QMI Agency
Prince Edward County deputy fire Chief Robert Rutter said the blaze was reported at 2:30 a.m. Saturday when a neighbour reported the blaze and then alerted the barn's owners.
"The main barn was totally involved when the person woke up and saw the glow, called 911 and then alerted the owners to the fact they had a major barn fire," Rutter said.
Firefighters from numerous halls were called to the scene and 40 firefighters on scene until 5 p.m.
Livestock loss was heavy, Rutter said, with more than 250 sheep inside the barn.
"There were also approximately 370 bales of hay in the main barn and a covered storage unit, about 40 feet from the main barn, there was another 275 bales of hay that were lost," he said.
Rutter said it is suspected the fire was sparked by an electrical problem.
