A barn fire in Sparta, Ont., has killed dozens of chickens and destroyed a small farm business. On Monday, a barn housing close to 90 chickens and nine pigs caught fire on Sparta Line, directly across from the elementary school. By Tuesday morning, Vera Davey, owner of Quaker Springs Farm, estimated more than 50 egg-laying chickens had been lost in the fire. A neighbour managed to let the nine pigs out of the barn as the fire started, and Davey said she had recovered two of them. The other seven remain unaccounted for in the fields surrounding her home. Davey said freezers full of butchered meat, chickens and pork products were destroyed in the blaze. Her entire inventory for the Horton Street Christmas Market in St. Thomas was also lost. Yarmouth Centre Fire Department responded to the fire with assistance from the Elgin County OPP, which closed Sparta Line as crews battled the blaze. Due to the timing of the fire and its proximity to the school, police helped facilitate the pickup of students at the end of the school day. London fire crews battle barn fire Hours after the blaze in Elgin County, London fire crews were battling a barn fire in south London. Crews were called to a shop/shed at the intersection of Scotland Drive and Wellington Road shortly before midnight. London fire officials said the extent of the fire damage caused the structure to begin failing, with a roof collapse and a partial wall collapse reported. Fire operations shifted to a defensive strategy, with a water shuttle used to support suppression efforts. All occupants were accounted for and no injuries were reported.
