A fire destroyed a 27,000 square foot barn in Olds, Alberta, Canada, along with 80 vintage and antique cars worth $3 million, and none of it was insured.
The devastation occurred at the dairy farm of Bert Curtiss on Thursday, and farm equipment and vehicles were also destroyed in the blaze, the Daily Mail reported.
Authorities investigating the fire believe it began in part of the garage where car parts were stored, and that the fire is not suspicious.
“It was a little tough to watch,” Curtiss told CTV News of the fire. “Some of these cars I’ve had for 40 years. I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of hours working on them.”
The fire raged out of control for hours, and fuel tanks could be heard exploding as the fire went on. Two nearby homes were threatened as well as other structures, but ultimately were not damaged. No one was in the barn when the fire started and no injuries were reported, according to Global News.
Many of the older vehicles had parts made of wood, and even the metal was damaged beyond repair.
“It is what it is,” Curtiss said, the Daily Mail reported. “I guess I’ve lost 45 years of work.”
Curtiss used to visit car shows during summers with cars from his collection, but now says he plans to get a different hobby rather than try to continue to restore and fix cars.
“It was definitely a shock,” Curtiss said, Global News reported. “What do you do?”
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