No people or animals were injured Saturday when a fire destroyed a large barn and an attached meat-cutting facility at Cuthbert Farms south of Duncan, near the Koksilah River.
The 34- by 100-metre barn was used for storing hay and equipment, said Cowichan Valley Volunteer Fire Rescue Chief Charlie Brown.
A second barn nearby was heavily damaged.
“There’s a house but it’s at a different location on the property,” Brown said.
He said fire crews arrived just before 3 p.m. and remained on-site until about 11 p.m.
About 30 firefighters were involved, with the Cowichan Bay department drawing assistance from both Duncan and Mill Bay. An excavator was brought in to get to the central point of the fire, Brown said.
No cause or damage estimate has been determined.