Metcalfe barn fire kills livestock, forces major firefight
Two barns engulfed in flames on rural property south of Metcalfe; crews battle extreme heat without hydrants nearby.
A large barn fire in rural south Ottawa claimed at least one horse and several chickens early Thursday morning, forcing firefighters to truck in water to battle the blaze without access to hydrants.
The call came in around 12:45 a.m. from a property on the 3000 block of 8th Line Road in Metcalfe. Crews arrived to find two barns already fully engulfed in flames with what they described as extreme heat conditions.
Because the area has no fire hydrants, teams hauled water in and deployed multiple hoses to attack the structures while another crew worked to protect nearby buildings from the intense heat and flying embers. Wind-carried embers ignited several smaller spot fires in surrounding hay and brush, requiring a separate brush truck to extinguish them and prevent further spread.
Firefighters faced multiple hazards: downed and live hydro lines, exposed fuel tanks on one building, and the risk of structural collapse. An aerial ladder was brought in to help attack the fire from above. Property owners managed to save most of the animals before crews arrived.
After more than an hour of fighting the blaze, firefighters declared it under control by 2:06 a.m. An excavator was brought in to remove debris and douse hotspots. A fire watch truck remained on scene to monitor for any flare-ups. A city fire investigator was dispatched to determine the cause.