Cows 'worked up,' but escape fire that shut down milking operation in western P.E.I.
CBC News | Posted: December 5, 2017 9:22 PM | Last Updated: December 5, 2017
Barn destroyed in early morning fire in Foxley River
A barn fire in western P.E.I. will put a dairy business on hold for about a year, says the farm's owner.
The barn fire happened early in the morning on Nov. 29 at W&S Riverview Dairy in Foxley River.
Owner Will Blaauwendraat said he saw the fire when he got up in the morning to milk the cows.
"I just saw the glow and the flames were coming out of the top of the roof," Blaauwendraat said.
He told his wife to call 911 as he headed toward the burning barn, which housed 60 milking cows.
"I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest when I looked out the window," Blaauwendraat said.
"Your adrenaline just starts pumping. I think I had one boot halfway on, grabbed my coat, and I just — out the door I went. I think I was still even in my pyjama pants."
Blaauwendraat and his employee started opening up the gates of the barn.
"All the cows took off," he said.
Your adrenaline just starts pumping. — Will Blaauwendraat
There was also an area in the barn where the cows were chained up. They went in, fought through the smoke, and managed to release all of the animals.
The cows "were pretty worked up," he said.
It was a struggle to keep them out of the barn, Blaauwendraat explained, because the barn is their "safe place."
With all of the cows out of the barn, he said, all they could do was stand back and wait for the fire trucks.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, he said.
No cows were lost in the fire, Blaauwendraat said, but the building is a "total write off" and his feed mixer was destroyed.
"There's nothing left of it. No roof, there's no walls, there's nothing," he said.
Blaauwendraat said they've lost production until about next October because of the fire.
Blaauwendraat has about 125 cows in total, but he can no longer house all of them. A neighbour with an open barn facility has taken in 20 to 30 of Blaauwendraat's pregnant animals, and he's had to relocate his milk cows to six or seven different farms until he's back up and running.
'Milk cheque pays my bills'
He said the temporary loss of his milk cows will take a "massive" toll on his business. "The milk cheque pays my bills."
He will continue farming crops in the spring and will continue to take care of 40 of his young stock on the farm that are housed in a separate barn from the one that burned down.
In the meantime, Blaauwendraat will work on a plan to replace the destroyed barn.
"Hopefully by October of next year we'll be back up and running in new facilities."
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