Another Deadly Ontario Barn Fire

Yet another deadly barn fire in the province of Ontario took place this past weekend, and all of the nine horses that were in the stable perished.

As an article by CTV News Kitchener explains, the fire occurred at Darkin Riding Stables at roughly 4 a.m. on Saturday, February 27.

The stable is owned by Darlene Kinnear and is located in Otterville, Ont., which is roughly 65 kilometres outside of London. Five of the horses that lost their lives in the blaze were owned by Kinnear, who had just moved into the barn in January. She had taken out insurance on the barn, but it was set to kick in on March 1, which makes the situation all-the-more worse for the grieving horse lover.

"They’re not just horses,” Kinnear told CTV Kitchener. “They all had a special part in our lives.”

Kinnear’s stock and the four other equine that lived at the stable made up the Darkin Riding Stable. The horses helped people with mental illnesses, were rented for birthday parties and could also be booked for private trail rides.

According to the article, Kinnear has estimated her losses at $50,000 due to the blaze. She has said that most of that financial number is from lost equipment.

“Replacing my horses would be immeasurable to me, at this point,” Kinnear said. “I would rather remember them last night when they were all happy and getting treats and kisses and hugs before I left for the night.”

Saturday’s blaze is the third deadly barn fire that has taken place in southwestern Ontario this winter season. News of the devastating barn fire at the Classy Lane Training Centre rocked the industry in the New Year when 43 horses, including 39 Standardbreds, lost their lives. Less than two weeks later, at least 12 Arabian horses lost their lives in a blaze at a private barn located just outside of Mount Forest, Ont.

(With files from CTV News Kitchener)