Thorold barn fire claims 80 cows

Jul 18, 2016

Fire happened Saturday afternoon

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

A Saturday afternoon barn fire in Thorold, Ontario killed at least 80 cows.

Firefighters were called around 5pm on Saturday afternoon. By the time firefighters arrived at Greenview Farms, the barn was immersed in flames.

Michael Seth, Thorold’s fire chief, told the St. Catharines Standard the fire caused steel beams inside the barn to glow and a wall to collapse.

Seth’s approximation is the fire caused at least $1 million in damage. In addition to the barn, silos and a wagon filled with straw also burned.

Thorold barn fire
A fire rips through a barn in Thorold over the weekend.
Photo: Grant LaFleche, St. Catharines Standard

Terry Yungblut, the owner of the barn, said he and his family will eventually rebuild what they've lost.

“I don’t know when that will be,” he told The Standard on Sunday. “Right now, we’re all in shock, just trying to come to terms with it.”

The Ontario Fire Marshal, the Ministry of the Environment, OMAFRA, and other authorities were called.

Seth said machinery needs to clear some debris before a cause could be determined, but the extensive damage could make finding a cause difficult.

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