Fast Acting Farmer

A quick-acting farmer managed to single-handedly control a fire on his chicken farm until firefighter s arrived, saving the barn and most of his flock.

The fire at 5501 Line 44 in the Municipality of West Perth, just west of Stratford on Perth County, broke out out at about 8 a.m.m on January 9. West Perth Fire Chief Bill Hunter said the cause of the fire was likely electrical but it had not been confirmed. The fire is no suspicious he said.

The farmer, John Moorsel, did three things right that morning, Hunter said. First, as soon as he saw the fire he called 911. “Sometimes people will try and fight a fire before the call 911,” Hunter said. Second, Van Moorsel had fire extinguishers already in his barn. Third, he know how to use one. That allowed him to keep the fire at bay until firefighters arrived, Hunter said.

Of the 15,000 chickens in his barn, only a dozen died, said Hunter, although more could die later from smoke inhalation. Damage was estimated at $10,000.