DESIRÉE DECOSTE

STAFF WRITER

Wednesday evening brought a farmer’s worst nightmare to life-a fire in their utility shop/cattle shed.

While preparing to make supper, the Rabbie family of Sunset Farms and Cabins in Northport noticed their combination shop/shed was on fire and called the Prince Edward County Fire Department.

“Last night as we were getting ready to make supper we noticed our shop/shed building was on fire,” as stated on the Sunset Farms and Cabins Facebook page. “We had only been in it half hour before that and noticed nothing.”

Thankfully the cows that use the shed for their bedding area were already out in the yard so no animals or people were hurt.

Responding to the call was Picton’s Station 1 and Demorestville’s Station 4 with approximately 25 firefighters attending the scene. Thanks to a quick response and good work, other structures on the far including livestock barns were left untouched by the blaze.

A number of dahlia bulbs were saved on Wednesday. (Facebook photo)

“Cause of fire is undetermined at this time,” Deputy Fire Chief Tim Kraemer told The Gazette. “It was investigated but due to damage there is just not enough evidence to determine cause.”

Estimated damages of the building and its contents are $250,000.

All of the Rabbie family tools, their walk-in cooler for vegetables where they also start their seeds for the greenhouse, 7000 dahlias bulbs, a vacuum seeder for vegetables and countless other crucial items to make a farm run were all lost in the blaze. And with spring planting preperations not too far in the future.

“We would like to extend a huge thank you to the fire department,” expressed Sunset Farms and Cabins on their Facebook page. “They had such a quick response time and prevented the fire from spreading to the horse barn and sheep barn, a mere few feet from the shed/shop and house. We would also like to thank the many neighbours, friends and the farming community who sent messages, texts and came out to see if we needed anything, offering meals, transportation and barns for the cattle. If we didn’t send you a message back know that we saw it and are so grateful! We really do live in an amazing community that pulls together and supports one another!”

As farmers are, the Rabbie family are nothing but resilient and plan to grow from here.

“What next? Now we start to rebuild,” as said on the Sunset Farms and Cabins Facebook page. “Farmers are nothing but resilient, we have to be when we take a gamble working with Mother Nature year after year. We clean up, hope insurance comes through and grow from here. One small glimmer, due to being stored in peat moss and in the air tight walk in cooler, we got about 100-200 dahlias out, not much comparatively but you need to find hope in these situations.”

To help out the Rabbie family a gofundme page has been created. If interested in donating please visit www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-rabbie-family-rebuild-after-fire?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1&fbclid=IwAR3C3lPtXKHO68afRa76vdsA5HaGKk_42kZT80EkZDxeOMyS7bbsC7TBEs8

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