What I did on my summer vacation? Well, I took some not-very-exciting photographs of a pole barn fire, because when things were really exciting I was a bit busy:
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| Metal doesn't burn; but it collapses onto burning material and causes problems in reaching the fire. |
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| There's always one little smoldering bit way up high, usually found after the ladders have been put away. |
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| A good look at the overall building. |
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| For some reason I always seem to end up involved with propane tanks. I removed this one from the building -- after directing the nozzleman to cool it down for awhile first, of course. The owner had forgotten it was in there. |
A pole barn near Albion was destroyed by fire Tuesday, June 28.
Heavy black smoke could already be seen from Albion when the fire was reported at the Rod Frymier residence at 1199 N 75 E, and when firefighters arrived the contents of the 32 by 32 foot metal building were engulfed in flames. No injuries were reported, but the building and its contents were a total loss.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but is believed to be accidental.
A neighbor first noticed smoke coming from the building at about 7:12 p.m. and notified the Frymier’s, who dialed 911. How long the fire had been burning before being discovered isn’t known; the structure was behind the family home, which itself is at the end of a long lane well off the roadway.
The distance from the roadway caused problems for firefighters, who had to pump water from tankers on the road through about a quarter of a mile of large diameter hose to reach a fire engine at the scene. In addition, a water shuttle operation was hampered by CSX trains that blocked the railroad tracks in Albion.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 25 minutes; heat from the fire damaged nearby trees and other objects, and threatened a pool and deck nearby. It took another hour to completely extinguish all the flames in the building, which held numerous items including a small tractor and other power equipment. Several small explosions were reported, apparently involving containers of flammable liquids and gasses.
Eight Albion fire trucks manned by 19 firefighters responded to the call, assisted by members of the Noble Township, Churubusco, Orange Township, and Avilla Fire Departments. A Noble County EMS unit also stood by as a precaution, and Noble Could Sheriff’s Department personnel assisted with traffic control.
Wow!!!Sounds....hot!
ReplyDeleteI've always been afraid of fire.
ReplyDeleteI admire your ability to deal with this. I could never. I stand in awe of fire, which can be so devastating.
ReplyDeleteHot it was, Shelly! I wish there had been pictures taken when we first got there -- it was quite the spectacle.
ReplyDeleteI also stand in awe of fire, and the longer I'm in this business, the more in awe I am of just how much power it has, and how quickly it can spread. As for being afraid -- with good reason, I'd say. We're all afraid of something; fear of fire is way more reasonable than a lot of other fears.
It doesn't take much for the building to go. I remember as a kid, seeing one of the outlying buildings on the farm across the road go up in smoke. I think it was used to store hay.
ReplyDeleteRight, nothing goes up quite as fast as a hay barn. The newer, metal covered ones tend to collapse in on themselves; the ones with wooden walls and roofs commonly take other buildings and vehicles with them.
ReplyDelete