ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The outpouring of support for Woodland Farm in Goulds on the night of a devastating Feb. 22 barn fire and since then has helped a tough situation.
Michelle Dinn said Monday she wanted to extend a thank you to everyone who helped on behalf of her brother, dairy farmer Michael, who runs the farm, and his family.
“Special thanks to all first responders, members of the farming community and all neighbours and friends that showed up on the night and risked their lives to try to save the cattle and farm,” she said, relaying the family's message.
“As well as every single person who has offered their help, equipment, barns, meals and support. There are too many to mention personally but please know that every single one of you will never be forgotten for your kindness and friendship during this devastating week.”
In a phone interview from Cork, Ireland, Michelle Dinn said the good news is her young niece’s calf, Bambi, has been returned home from a nearby farm where the calf was sheltered after the fire.
Farmers in the area took in livestock for the family, Dinn said.
As well, two miniature horses and a Newfoundland pony, survived the fire.
In total, some 40 animals were saved, mostly calves, due to the first responders and community effort, Dinn said.
Dinn said the fire was noticed just before 9 p.m. that night by a passerby who banged on the family’s doors.
A normal Monday night turned nightmarish as the fire spread quickly, she said.
However, people rushed to the scene to help.
‘So many turned up that night,” she said. “We’ll never be able to repay them for the risk they took.”
“We’ll never be able to repay them for the risk they took.” — Michelle Dinn
For first responders, it was unusual incident, she noted.
“It’s not everyday they have to deal with cows 10 times their size,” she said.
The whole family adored the cows and the loss of so many of them has been hard, DInn said.
“It’s a devastating situation,” she said. “Things can be replaced.
Dinn said her brother built his dairy business from scratch — he started milking in 2012 — and rose at 5 a.m. every day of the year to tend the farm, but it’s been his passion.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary concluded its investigation into the fire, and said Monday the precise cause is undetermined due to significant damage.
The fire is not believed to be a suspicious incident, the RNC said.
Barn fires are an unfortunate risk of farming, said Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture president Wayne Simmons, who has a farm in Little Rapids, on the province’s west coast.
With hay, sawdust and machinery, anything could cause a spark and he said unless you’re on the spot and can quickly grab the fire extinguisher, such fires can move quickly.
“Unfortunately there is not a lot that can be done,” Simmons said.
“Unfortunately, usually if there is a fire in a barn, it can’t be saved. There's no source of water big enough to save it … That’s the reality of farming. It’s detrimental. That’s why we carry insurance.”
He said the only hope is to keep it from spreading to other buildings.
Most farms are in rural areas with little access to large amounts of water, he noted, adding insurance is expensive due to the risk.
Simmons has had the fire department looked at his site and the biggest source of water is a kilometre away — the Humber River.
Firefighters from the St. John's Regional Fire Department and Goulds volunteers, tackled the massive Woodland Farm fire but with some difficulty as there was no local water supply. Water had to be brought in by tanker and that hampered the firefighting effort.
As for barns and a fire suppression system such as sprinklers, Simmons said it’s unlikely there’s anything that is affordable that would work in a barn situation.
Simmons said he hopes Michael Dinn rebuilds and continues on, as tough a loss as it was.
“You don’t just do it overnight… To get that herd back will take some time,” Simmons said. “It’s always tragic when someone loses a barn… I can only imagine what he is dealing with.”
Some 70 cows were reported by media to have been lost in the blaze.
Barb Sweet is The Telegram's senior report. [email protected] | @BarbSweetTweets