More than a hundred firefighters battled a blaze that burned most of a cattle barn in North River Wednesday night.
“We lost our main dairy barn,” said CJ Murray, son of Loleaf Farm owner Don Murray. “I would say they're going to come in and tell us to tear this down.”
North River Fire Chief Chris Franklin said about three-fourths of the metal L-shaped barn at 997 Hwy 311 was destroyed. It took over six hours to subdue the blaze, with dousing made easier when an excavator came in to tear down the steel walls.
CJ Murray had just gotten home and changed after a day of work at the farm when he saw a missed call and text from his neighbour.
“He texted me saying ‘I think the barn’s on fire,’ (then) immediately texted back and said ‘it is on fire,’” said Murray. “Somehow, I beat the fire brigade out here ... when I got here, she was totally going.”
Two of the 60 milking cows died due to the barn collapse. Three calves were also killed. The remaining were dispersed to other local farms, most of them to Cobequid Holsteins in Masstown.
“It's crazy how fast the calls for help came in,” said Murray. “Didn’t even have cows out of the barn and I was getting phone calls saying ‘we got housing, we got feed, we've got bedding, trailers, anything you need.”
Some in a separate barn remain onsite.
Thursday, some cattle were being transported to temporary homes, with 50 remaining at Cobequid Holsteins and 10 going to Upper Musquodoboit.
The North River Fire Brigade responded to the call at 5:45 p.m. with aid from nine others: Valley-Kemptown, Bible Hill, Tatamagouche, Brookfield, Hilden, Debert, Cobequid, Salmon River and Onslow Belmont. There was also support from EHS, RCMP and EMO, and assistance at fill and traffic control sites.
“Strong response from all brigades, there were numerous brigades that participated … certainly appreciated,” said Franklin. “That's what’s needed for those bigger structure fires.”
It was a tiring night for firefighters. Franklin said they did not leave the hall until after 2:30 a.m. and returned this morning to continue cleaning and put out the last hotspot – a beam buried underneath sawdust. Now, it’s a day of cleanup at the barn and fire hall, with locals and fire volunteers helping in whatever way they can.
Community members also supported ongoing efforts by leaving food at the nearby North River fire hall.
“We didn't know until we returned, but there were people dropping off sandwiches and pizza and Tim Hortons coffee," said Franklin. “Fantastic support, so we thank the public for that as well. I know the firefighters certainly appreciated it after six long hours.”
The purebred Holstein dairy farm has been in the family for over three generations since 1899. The family faced a previous barn fire over thirty years ago.
RCMP closed Hwy 311 between Main Street and Stewart’s Bridge during the blaze. The highway was reopened between 2 and 3 a.m. Thursday morning.
The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation.
