Early this morning around 3 AM, Middlesex OPP and fire crews responded to a structure fire call in the 800 Block of Parkhill Drive in Middlesex.
A large livestock barn was on fire, and 2000 swine perished in the blaze. Middlesex County fire investigators are on scene. Fire crews from Ailsa Criag, Grand Bend and Thedford had to come and assist in putting out the fire.
"Some of the pigs are deceased," says Constable Liz Melvin. "The estimate is approximately 2,000 at this point. The county fire investigator and the Ontario Fire Marshal's office are investigating and police are still on scene assisting."
No estimate on total cost of the damage as of yet. This is the 4th major barn fire in the last few weeks in Mid Western Ontario. A barn fire near Delaware early Sunday killed 500 goats and 30 cows. A dozen horses were killed in a stable fire in Mount Forest January 14 and 43 race horses died in a blaze that devastated Classy Lane Stables in Puslinch, south of Guelph January 4.