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Fire ravages county dairy

A Sturgeon County farmer is looking to rebuild after losing some 150 cows to a fire last week.
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BURNED BARN — A backhoe works to demolish the remains of a large barn at Lakeside Dairy Monday. The barn burned down Nov. 17, taking almost 150 cows with it. The fire was one of three major blazes that happened in Sturgeon County last week.

A Sturgeon County dairy farmer is just one of several landowners looking to rebuild this week after fires caused millions of dollars worth of property damage. Sturgeon County fire departments responded to three major structure fires last week, reports county fire chief Pat Mahoney. Bon Accord, Morinville and Gibbons firefighters rushed to contain a blaze at a two-storey chicken barn south of Bon Accord on Nov. 15. The structure was fully engulfed by the time crews got the call at 4:53 a.m., and the barn was destroyed, killing some 30,000 chickens inside. No one was injured. A second inferno at about 4:46 a.m. on Nov. 18 wrecked a seven-bay shop building near Lamoureux despite the efforts of Bon Accord, Gibbons, and Namao crews, Mahoney said. There were no injuries, but snowmobiles, tractor-trailers and other items were destroyed. The third fire was at Lakeside Dairy east of Legal on Nov. 17. Lakeside Dairy owner Jeff Nonay said the fire started late Thursday sometime after staffers left for the day in the large L-shaped barn where he kept his calves. When a worker came by to investigate a fire alarm at the neighbouring dairy barn at about 2:04 a.m. Friday, he saw that the L-shaped barn (which did not have a fire alarm) was on fire. The building was completely engulfed when Legal, Bon Accord, and Morinville crews arrived, Mahoney said. About 23 firefighters spent many hours battling the flames to keep them away from an adjacent barn and several grain silos. Cold, the size of the building, and the large amount of flammable material in it made this a challenge. No one was injured in the fire, but about 146 cows in the barn died, Nonay said. Among them were about eight pregnant adults, 138 calves, and Smurf, the calf his daughter Lily had been raising for her 4-H Club. Fire investigators believe an electrical short started the fire in a part of the barn far from where the cows usually sleep, Nonay said. The cows likely died of smoke inhalation.

Loss and hope

Mahoney said this was one of the most destructive weeks fire-wise the county had seen since the wildfires of the 2000s, with the three fires causing many millions of dollars in damages. Nonay said his losses were covered by insurance and were probably under a million dollars. He had started clearing away the scorched remains of the barn and was in talks with a builder to raise a new one. “By summertime, we want to have a new facility there.” As for his herd, Nonay said he still had about 400 other cows, including 180 in his dairy barn, and he planned to buy replacements. What he can’t replace is the genetics represented by the lost calves. “Those are the future of the dairy farm,” he said, and those calves would have been producing milk about two years down the road. “It’s a big loss.” It’s an emotional time, but Nonay said he and his crew were determined to keep the dairy going. One bit of good news was the discovery that the barn’s three cats – Guinness and her grandkids Moustache and Angel – escaped the blaze, Nonay said. The three have since set up shop in the hay shed. “That was a small victory on day one.” His employees, meanwhile, were looking forward to the birth of a new calf later this week. Nonay thanked community members for their help, saying that neighbours had been dropping off equipment and food, shovelling the walk, and offering replacement 4-H calves to his daughter all week. Anyone who sees a fire in Sturgeon County should call 911, Mahoney said.


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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