A barn fire in Townsend, northeast of Port Dover, Ont., could have been much worse were it not for a considerate passerby, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
Acting Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said an engulfed barn was reported at Cockshutt Road near McMichael Road shortly after 8 p.m. Monday.
“Preliminary stages have indicated right now that a Good Samaritan saw this fire happening, pulled into the residence and started beeping their horn to alert the residents of the home,” Sanchuk said.
“(The residents) came out of the house, and as a result, it looks like several animals were saved from that barn fire.”
Police did not say what kind of animals were housed in the barn and it is unclear if all of the animals were evacuated but police said that volunteer firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the home on the property.
A section of roadway was closed until just after 10 p.m. Monday. Neither a damage estimate nor a suspected cause is available yet.