A string of devastating barn fires across the province has prompted the Perth East and West Perth Fire Departments to alert the farming community about the importance of fire prevention.
Perth East and West Perth Fire Chief Bill Hunter said a barn fire can be devastating to families, property owners and the entire farming community. And he said every barn can be at risk, not just the traditional small bank barns.
“A single barn fire has a ripple effect in the community," said Perth East and West Perth Fire Chief Bill Hunter. “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 and supply companies, that rely on these farms to be up and running. There is more at stake than just the barn.”
Last week there were three barn fires in the province. It was a $6-million loss in Norfolk County (pictured above), a $1million loss in Quinte West, and in Wilmot Township calves were lost in a barn fire.
Chief Hunter said he encourages farmers to take steps like general housekeeping, along with checking wiring and appliances regularly. And if requested, the fire department can use a thermal imaging camera to check for hot spots on the property and create a customized fire safety plan.
For more info on farm fire safety, you can visit the fire department pages at https://www.westperth.com or https://www.pertheast.ca.