24 calves killed in barn fire near Richmond

Twenty-four calves have been killed in an early morning barn fire at a dairy farm near Richmond, 40 minutes away from downtown Ottawa.

Ottawa Fire Services says the owner of the farm called 9-1-1 just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday reporting a 30 ft. x 80 ft. barn at the back of the property on Mansfield Road was engulfed in flames. The barn was used to house calves, machinery and hay.

The owner also reported two large silos were in close proximity to the barn, noting that it could easily catch fire.

Crews requested additional resources after seeing heavy smoke and flames. With the fire happening in an area of the city with no hydrants, firefighters used tanker trucks to shuttle in water to the scene from the closest water source.

"Due to the barn being fully engulfed in smoke and flames, Firefighters began a defensive attack and no crews were to enter the structure," Ottawa fire said in a statement. "Firefighters made it a priority to get hose lines on the silos that were at risk of catching fire. The roof of the barn eventually collapsed."

Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading to the silos.

An excavator was brought to the scene to help move debris and extinguish any hot spots.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.