Fire engulfs rural west Ottawa barn filled with antiques, carriages

A fire engulfed a tin barn in rural west Ottawa on Monday afternoon, leaving behind the dust and ash leftover from a large collection of antiques and priceless objects.

Ottawa Fire Services says crews responded to a farm on the 2900 block of Kinburn Side Road shortly after 1:15 p.m. A 911 caller had reported the barn contained fuel and other combustibles.

• IN PICTURES: Scenes from the aftermath of the fire

Fire crews could see smoke and flames coming from all four sides of the 150 x 75 foot structure. 

The farm's owner Clement Smith and his neighbour says they were working on a newly acquired 1996 Cadillac inside the barn when the fire broke out.

"We had the torches to try to loosen a nut. And somehow a bit of grease got heated up above that we couldn't see. And it dropped down onto a rubber coil, and it burnt right through it," he told CTV News.

Smith says despite their best attempt to put out the fire using water and a fire extinguisher, they were unsuccessful.

"The fire started into the dashboard of the car, and then it just went like a flash," Smith said. 

No animals were inside. The barn had various antiques, sleds, the Cadillac and carriages, including one Smith's daughter was married in.

"We had about 30 horse drawn vehicles. An old hearse from 1850. And Landau carriage," he said. "My new tractor too, and a John Deere, a 920 John Deere, it’s all gone."

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Fire crews had to shuttle water with tanker trucks to the scene as there are no hydrants in the area. The structure began to collapse shortly before 2:15 p.m.

Ottawa paramedics confirmed they treated and assessed one person at the scene for minor smoke inhalation. They were released at the scene. 

The fire was confirmed under control at around 4:10 p.m. 

An escavator was called to the scene to move the debris and extinguish hot spots. 

Smith says he can't yet estimate the cost of the loss, but without insurance to cover the damage, he says the loss is devastating.

"They wouldn't insure my barn because the wiring was the house wiring, and it was that way when I bought it. But it wasn't on account of the wiring, it was just a freak accident, really," he said.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Dave Charbonneau