At least 100 cows perish in $1M fire at Tecumseh dairy farm
Tuesday,April19th,2016
Damage is estimated at more than $1 million after at least 100 dairy cows were killed in a fire that ripped through a barn at a Tecumseh farm Monday.
Fire crews were called to Jobin Farms in the 4700 block of Concession 11 just after 6 p.m., when they found the barn fully involved in fire and farmers trying to shepherd the cattle out of the barn to safety.
“There was approximately 225 cattle inside,” said Tecumseh fire prevention officer Bob Hamilton.
About 100 of the cattle perished in the blaze.
Hamilton said the fire started with a straw shredding machine that makes straw finer for the cows’ bedding.
“We know that that’s what caught fire from the witness statements,” said Hamilton.
Flames engulf a dairy farm in the 4700 block of the 11th Concession Road in Tecumseh on April 18, 2016. Jason Kryk / Windsor Star
Once word of the fire spread, farmers from the area flocked to the farm to help out.
A plume of thick black smoke was visible from several kilometres away.
Sheep farmer and neighbour Rick Fuerth, who does some work on the farm, came to help as soon as he learned of the fire.
“All the dairy farmers in Essex County are here,” said Fuerth.
“There’s probably 50 farmers here. We’ve seen it before and it’s never very nice.”
Fuerth said it will be tricky to rebuild the farm even with insurance.
“It’s one of the largest dairy farms in the county,” said Fuerth. “It’s going to cost millions to rebuild. What are you going to do now? Even when you have insurance it’s never all covered.”
Cattle flee from a barn fire on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
Fuerth said arrangements had been made to transport the surviving cows to a dairy farm near Aylmer.
The office of the Ontario Fire Marshal was notified of the blaze but chose not to attend the scene because the cause was not in question.
Hamilton said he expects to hear from the OFM again on Tuesday.
Fire crews from Tecumseh, LaSalle, Windsor, Lakeshore and Amherstburg all responded to fight the blaze, which was made particularly difficult because of the remoteness of the location.
“We have to do water shuttles, fill up the tanks and they run out,” said Hamilton.
Trucks were filling up their tanks at fire hydrants throughout the area and ferrying water back to the farm.
More than 50 firefighters came to battle the blaze.
The steel-sided barn eventually collapsed and a nearby silo was also being observed because of its fragile condition as a result of the fire.
Hamilton said he expected crews to be on the scene well into Monday evening.
Tecumseh fire crews battle a large barn fire at a dairy farm on the 11th Concession in Tecumseh, Ont. on April 18, 2016 Jason Kryk / Windsor Star
Tecumseh fire crews battle a large barn fire at a dairy farm on the 11th Concession in Tecumseh, Ont. on April 18, 2016 Jason Kryk / Windsor Star
Fire crews battle a large barn fire at a dairy farm on the 11th Concession in Tecumseh, Ont. on April 18, 2016 Jason Kryk / Windsor Star
Fire crews battle a large barn fire at a dairy farm on the 11th Concession in Tecumseh, Ont. on April 18, 2016 Jason Kryk / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
Cattle flee from a barn fire on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
Cattle flee from a barn fire on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
Cattle flee from a barn fire on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
Cattle flee from a barn fire on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
Cattle flee from a barn fire on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
A barn burns on the Jobin Farms property in Maidstone, Ont. on Monday, April 18, 2016. Firefighters battled the blaze, which completely destroyed the barn and other buildings, well into the night. Several cows had to be put down on the scene. Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star
Andrew grew up on a dairy farm in southern Ontario — which means he learned about herd management, hard work, and tight margins long before it became a career. He went on to build an animal genetics marketing company, running campaigns that actually moved the needle in a notoriously tough-to-reach industry. Today he channels that background into The Bullvine, where he writes about genetics, farm business, and the decisions that separate profitable operations from struggling ones. He doesn’t pull punches, and dairy farmers seem to appreciate that.
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