Barn fire at Scullion Farm claims dozens of cows

Feb 15, 2017

The fire broke out early Wednesday morning

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

A devastating barn fire at an Ontario family farm early Wednesday morning resulted in the loss of a number of cows.

Fire crews, including more than 30 firefighters and 15 fire trucks, responded to the blaze at Scullion Farm, located on Gréber Boulevard in Gatineau, Ont., just after midnight.

Approximately 200 cows were inside the barn at the time of the blaze. A total of 33 cows and 15 calves were lost in the fire.

The remaining three barns located on the property were not damaged.

The farm owners were able to rescue 139 cows housed inside and move them to safety.

One of the owners, Derek Scullion, told CTV Ottawa he believes the fire may have been caused by an electrical issue. No official cause has been released.

Scullion was made aware of the fire after someone saw the fire and notified him, reports CTV.

The estimated damage is unknown.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.