Family heirloom destroyed in farm fire southwest of Edmonton

Barn burns southwest of Edmonton Fire damaged a family farm southwest of Edmonton on Sunday.

EDMONTON — A farm fire in Leduc County destroyed a 5,600 sq. ft.-barn and burned up a family heirloom Sunday.

The fire broke out around 3 p.m. at a large family farm near Thorsby.

The billowing black smoke was visible from the overpass at Anthony Henday Drive and Stony Plain Road in west Edmonton, about 45 kilometres away.

At the scene, owner Mark Bendoritis told CTV News Edmonton he didn’t know how the fire started.

“Not a clue,” Bendoritis said. “I wasn’t even home. I was just a mile away. I was loading hay for a lady onto a trailer, and my back is to the place. And she says, ‘Hey is that your place?’ And I said, ‘Oh boy. I gotta go.'"

No people or animals were in the barn at the time, and no one was injured.

The barn, built in 1969, was a decades-long fixture on the multi-generational farm, as was the 1965 Ford Galaxy 500 that burned up inside of it.

Bendoritis can still remember the second his father brought it home.

“I remember him driving it in brand spanking new. So it’s a family heirloom kinda thing. So, that’s I guess, one thing I’m kinda sad about,” Bendoritis said, adding the rest of the barn was filled with farm equipment and some “junk.”

The Ford was still drivable all these years later, and Bendoritis would take it out every summer.

Still, he’s happy his family, animals and house are safe. The rest he’s taking in stride.

“(We lost) nothing that can’t be replaced. It’s OK,” Bendoritis said.

Crews from Leduc County Fire were still working to put out hotspots at 5:30 p.m., while RCMP directed traffic on Township Road 490 at Range Road 280.