Four fire crews needed to battle farm blaze

Jul 25, 2016

Fire took place in Haldimand County

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

Almost 100 firefighters representing fire crews from Haldimand County, Six Nations, Brant County and Hamilton were needed to contain a fire on a Haldimand farm.

The fire began at about 3:00pm on July 22 at Clark Poultry Farms, near Caledonia. The fire started out small enough but quickly destroyed 50 acres of wheat and a fire truck, while another fire truck was severely damaged.

Barns that are home to thousands of chickens were saved.

Fire truck
Getty

Haldimand County firefighters responded initially but determined they needed more help.

“So we quickly upgraded to a multi-station response as we started fire suppression efforts,” fire Chief Rob Grimwood told CTV News. “There was a really dramatic change in the wind direction that caused rapid fire spread and started pushing the fire towards numerous buildings.”

Neighbours were shocked how quickly the fire spread.

“I couldn’t believe how quick it took off,” Jean Smith, who lives across the road from the farm, told CTV News.

“Within three minutes the whole field was almost on fire and as high as the chicken barns in the back.”

It’s unknown whether the extreme dry conditions or an issue with the combine caused the fire to start.

Damages to the fire trucks are estimated at $500,000.

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.