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(845) (468) (21) (13) (10) (10) (10) (5) (5) (2) (2)Chris King, of 5926 Meadeville Road, Salisbury Township, was using the machine in a former dairy barn when its exhaust ignited dry hay, White Horse Fire Department Deputy Chief John Beyer said.
The fire spread out of control almost at once, and King called 911 about 1:15 p.m. Before help arrived, he rescued the few heifers and horses he kept in the building, Beyer said.
No injuries were reported.
The first units arrived to find flames shooting through the barn roof. A second alarm was called in before 1:30 p.m. In all, nearly 12 fire companies were called to the scene.
Firefighters ruled the blaze accidental. The building was a total loss, and nothing inside was saved except the animals. Beyer estimated the damage at roughly $300,000, including the structure, several pieces of farm equipment and other supplies kept there.
Beyer said he used the eight or nine tanker trucks he had available to shuttle water from a pond about a mile away. Even with a ready source of water, it took at least an hour to bring the fire under control.
A track hoe from Martin Mulch Products of Ephrata was brought in to pull down the ruins of the barn and clear away the soggy, charred hay and debris. That work continued until about 7 p.m., Beyer said.
It was foggy at the site, and rain drizzled intermittently all afternoon, but the deputy chief said weather was not a factor in fighting the fire.
Responding companies included Blue Ball, Churchtown, Gap, Gordonville, Intercourse, Kinzer, Christiana and New Holland, plus Honey Brook and Martin's Corner from Chester County, according to Lancaster County dispatchers. White Horse and Honey Brook emergency medical services also came to the scene.
E-mail: tstuhldreher@lnpnews.com
