Belleville firefighters return to scene of weekend barn fire

Nov 14, 2017

The fire started on Sunday

By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com

Belleville, Ont. firefighters were called back to the scene of a weekend barn fire this morning.

The fire originally took place on Sunday afternoon at a farm on Craig Road. The barn, along with 100 round bales of hay stored inside, were destroyed in the fire.

This morning, Belleville first responders received reports of hot spots and the fire restarting and returned to the farm.

After assessments and interviews with people at the scene after the initial fire, investigators concluded the fire started on the north side of the barn. And it appears the fire was not set on purpose, according to Bruce Greatrix, Deputy Fire Chief with the Belleville Fire Department.

“The fire has been deemed accidental,” Greatrix told Farms.com today. “Some people emptied their ashes from a wood stove outside of (the barn). That was the cause of the fire.”

There were no reported injuries to livestock or the public, but three firefighters were injured at the scene, according to Greatrix.

“We had a big excavator pulling the bales and debris from the barn, and the firefighters were in close proximity of that,” he said. “A large tree that was next to the barn fell over on them. Two were assessed on scene and one was taken to hospital for further assessment.”

The firefighter has since been released from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, Greatrix added.

The total damage is estimated at $50,000, according to Belleville News. It’s unclear whether the farmer insured the hay or the barn.

Top photo: A firefighter battles a barn fire in Bellville, Ont.
Photo: Stephen Petrick/Belleville News

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