A massive barn fire in North Middlesex on Wednesday morning killed roughly 3,000 pigs and left the structure completely destroyed. Fire crews were called to the property on Elm Tree Drive, northeast of Arkona, around 7:10 a.m. and found the barn fully engulfed with its roof collapsed.
According to Fire Chief Greg Vandenheuvel, firefighters had to battle the blaze from the outside due to the building’s instability and challenges with water supply in the rural area. Crews from Lambton Shores and Adelaide Metcalfe assisted, bringing the fire under control after about three to four hours.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation but is not considered suspicious. No other buildings were damaged, and the barn is expected to smolder for several days. Elm Tree Drive remained closed Wednesday afternoon as officials continued their work at the scene.