Major fire on a farm in Bécancour

A fire ravaged the Manica farm, in the Sainte-Gertrude sector, in Bécancour, Thursday morning. Many firefighters were called to the scene to fight the blaze, which took out the entire herd.

Emergency services were contacted shortly before 5 a.m. about the farm located on Boulevard du Parc-Industriel. The owner of the Manica farm, Nicolas Mailhot, was on vacation at the time of the fire. It was a neighbor who called the emergency services.

It was a building which housed animals which fell prey to the flames.

The police were called to the scene to block Route 261 between Chemin des Plaines and Route 226.

The City of Bécancour indicates that 30 firefighters were dispatched to fight the fire. The firefighters of the MRC de Bécancour were also called in as reinforcements.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) did not receive any indication that the fire was arson.

There were no injuries, but 70 animals, including 42 dairy cows, died in the fire.

The damage amounted to several million dollars, although the owner had insurance.