Joint investigation launched into suspicious barn fires in northeast London

London’s fire and police departments and the Ontario fire marshal’s office are investigating after two barns caught fire in the northeast corner of London.

About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, crews were called to fires near 1140 Fanshawe Park Road East.

“When responding, we could see heavy plumes of smoke in the air. The property was difficult to find because it was a trail that led off Sunningdale back to three barns on the rear end of the property,” said acting deputy fire chief Jack Burt.

The remote location posed some logistical challenges, Burt said.

“We actually didn’t take a truck back into the property. We left our vehicles on the road and ran hose back,” he said. The area around the fires was also quite dark, so emergency crews ran extension cords back into the bush so crews could set up lights, he added.

Damage to the two barns is estimated at $300,000 and the fires are being treated as suspicious.

There were no injuries, and no animals were in the barns at the time.