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oll tank. Red hot flames lick at the sky as the fire made its way to £ the south end of the 500' chicken barn destroyed by fire last Saturday morning near Blackstock. is Town Above: Over 40,000 laying hens like those above lost their lives In the worst farm fire In the Scugog area in years. An- other barn with about the same number of hens was saved. Bottom Left: Firemen on ladders punched holes through the roof to get at the flames, but because of the construction of the bullding, it was impossible to get at the blaze. They final- ly had to give up and let it burn. Bottom Right: A backhoe was brought in to clear debris at the north end of the building so firemen could hose down an PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, August 1, 1989 -- 11 Firemen battle $1 million barn by J. Peter Hvidsten The Ontario Fire Marshall is investi ting a fire which de- stroyed a chicken barn and killed about 40,000 laying hens on a farm near Blackstock Sat- urday morning. Fortunately a second barn with the same number of hens was saved. Early estimates by fire offi- cials suggest the loss of the chickens, equipment and 500' barn will be in excess of $1,250,000.00. The blaze appeared to have started about 7:00 a.m. at the north end of the barn in or near an electrical room but this has not been confirmed by the Fire Marshall. Scugog Fire Hall Two in Caesarea received the alarmat 7:47a.m. Thick, dirty smoke billowed skyward from the barn when firefighters arrived on the scene and Chief Ray Gould fire for 6 hours called for back-up help from the Port Perry Fire Hall. Both departments were on the scene for over six hours bat- tling the stubborn fire, but in the end all they could do is watch as the fire made its way along the length of the building, dropping it section by section. When the blaze finally reached the south end of the barn, flames shot high into the air causing a deafening roar. The immense heat from the blaze drove onlookers back as the fire razed the last few feet of the steel clad building. Captain Don Steel of the Port Perry department said that al- though they tried cutting holes in the roof to get at the flames, the double thick walls, steel with insulation and wallboard on the inside, they could not (Turn to page 12) Smoke blllowed out of the north end of the barn after an oll tank ruptured. The smoke was visible for miles with many reports of the fire being phoned Into the local fire depart- ments. Over 40,000 laying chickens, and the automated equipment were lost In the fire. aul ta Sou ibe Fags