1 injured in Township of Langley barn fire

Township of Langley fire crews battled a barn fire in a rural area near the U.S. border on Monday afternoon.

A caller to CityNews reported seeing an air ambulance landed in a field near the fire on 3rd Avenue near 216th Street, and others reported seeing a grey plume of smoke above the area.

Langley RCMP Staff Sgt. Brock Rayworth says emergency crews were called just after 4:30 p.m. before quickly responding to the area.

Township of Langley Fire Assistant Chief Dale Steeple tells CityNews that three engines and over 30 firefighters responded to the “fully involved” barn fire, but additional support was needed as the fire was in a non-hydronated area.

“They asked for a water tender shuttle … we get trucks on the road to make sure we have a water supply so we can keep a continuous flow of water once we are on scene,” he said, noting the fire was mostly knocked down after about an hour.

While Steeple says crews managed to contain the fire to the barn and keep it away from any nearby houses, he says some vehicles and nearby farm equipment sustained damage.

He explains that the structure of the barn provided crews with some added difficulty, as it was mostly made of metal.

“As the roof falls down and there’s hay and everything inside, all that gets covered by the metal roof, which prevents the water from getting onto it,” he said. “So, we’re getting an excavator in to be able to rip it apart in order to get it fully extinguished.”

Steeple confirms one person was injured and taken to an air ambulance before being hospitalized.

Rayworth says the cause of the fire remains under investigation.