ST. CLEMENTS — About 170 livestock, including 150 pigs, 12 chickens, and at least 8 horses, were destroyed in a barn fire in an early-morning fire in Wellesley Township on Jan. 7.
The barn, at 3649 Hessen Strasse Rd., northwest of Kitchener in Waterloo Region, had already collapsed by the time firefighters arrived, said Fire Chief Paul Redman. The call came in at about 3 a.m.
About 70 horses were rescued from the barn by the farm family and their neighbours.
The fire completely destroyed the barn and damaged two nearby silos. Three stations responded to the fire, and at one point 35 firefighters were on scene.
Damage was estimated at $400,000, though that number could rise if the damaged silos need to be knocked down, said Redman. The cause of the fire was unknown, said Redman, adding that the fire wasn’t considered suspicious.