Child missing after barn fire north of Waterloo
Posted July 13, 2013 4:46 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A child is missing following a fire north of Waterloo.
Woolwich Fire Chief Rick Pedersen told 570 News crews were called to the scene just after 7 p.m. Friday where they discovered what is believed to be a dairy barn fully engulfed in flames.
Officials say a toddler was out playing with his dog when the fire broke out.
Police, fire and neighbours searched the property for the boy and dog without success.
The search resumed on Saturday with specific focus on the barn once the site was deemed safe by fire officials.
Greg Olson with the Ontario Fire Marshall’s office told 570 News the investigation was very slow going because of heat and debris.
“The progress is good that we’re making and we’re in an area now I consider an area of interest,” he explained.
Olson said officials were in an area of the barn where the animals would be kept which may have created a gap for the young child to have hid. He added that if the young boy was in the barn he would have perished due to the extreme heat.
Temperatures in the barn were still so high one firefighter collapsed due to heat stroke during the search.
Olson said one possible cause of the fire is spontaneous combustion due to wet hay.
Smoke from the blaze at 1636 Lobsinger Line could be seen in down town Kitchener. The fire caused an estimated $400,000 in damages.
With files from CityNews.com staff
