A new awareness campaign has been launched by the Belleville Fire Department.
Three years after the Classy Lane fire, officials province-wide are urging no more barn fires.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office statistics show between 2013 and 2017 there were over 750 barn fires amounting to nearly $180 million in losses.
Fire Chief Mark MacDonald states this isn’t a new problem but a number of factors have led to the need for this campaign.
He says it’s not just old barns burning, there are massive, multi-million dollar operations going up in flames and too many livelihoods and legacies wiped out.
Fire departments will be advocating for their agricultural stakeholders to work with them on initiatives such as fire safety plans and raising awareness.
Electrical and heating appliances are the leading causes of barn fires, which are preventable and often can be avoided with simple maintenance steps.
The Ontario Fire and Life Safety Educators and Belleville Fire Department have teamed up as part of this province-wide barn fire safety campaign “Enough is Enough. No More Barn Fires!”
