A barn collapse northeast of Listowel has sent one person to hospital with undisclosed injuries.
Emergency crews were called to Road 146 between Perth Lines 88 and 89 in North Perth before 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
One person was hurt in the incident and had to be airlifted to hospital for treatment, OPP said. The extent of their injuries was not released.
A picture from the scene posted to West Region OPP's social media showed part of the barn's roof caved in and one exterior wall laying on the ground.
Police have not commented on the cause of the collapse. However, in recent days there have been several buildings that have experienced partial collapse under the weight of heavy snow. Last week, the roof of the former Interforest location west of Durham had a section of its roof cave in. On Sunday night, part of the roof of the Home Hardware in Brussels collapsed and an abandoned building in Elora gave way under heavy snow on Monday. Luckily, no one was hurt in those three incidents.
Much of midwestern Ontario saw roughly 50 to 60 centimetres of snow fall over the past two weeks, adding to piles of snow from January. According to data from the provincial government, a cubic foot of snow can weigh from seven lbs for snow that is new and dry to 30 lbs for old, compacted snow. Rain falling on accumulated snow will add even more weight. That is of particular concern this week, as Environment Canada is forecasting a chance of showers Tuesday, Wednesday night, and Thursday. Daytime highs are also expected to be above the freezing mark until Friday, which will increase the weight of snow piles as they begin to melt.
Signs a roof collapse could be imminent include the appearance of cracks along interior walls, doors opening by themselves or staying stuck, and loud creaks.
To help minimize the risk of a collapse, building owners are advised to regularly inspect and clear drains, gutters, and downspouts and clear the snow and ice from the roof on a regular basis.