Firefighters put out a small fire at Leacock Township barn, then return when lighting strikes a second time.
By David O'connor
Published Jul 02, 2005 11:40
Same barn, struck by lightning both times — only this time, they wouldn’t be going home for a while.
The barn, at 386 Centerville Road in Leacock Township, was again struck by lightning just before midnight Friday, and was fully involved when firefighters arrived.
Before it was finished, the two-alarm blaze destroyed the dairy barn, owned by Abram King Jr., and drew more than 100 firefighters from 11 companies.
The veteran chief of the Intercourse Fire Company, Steve Diener, has seen a few barn fires caused by lightning over the years.
But twice in one night?
“We’ve had three just in that area, not the same barn, over the last 10 years,” he said this morning, still at the scene as crews finished their cleanup from the fire.
Diener said the 60-by-130-foot, two-floor barn was a total loss, and he estimated the damage at $300,000.
There were no injuries, and owner King lost no livestock in the fire, the chief said.
Fires caused by lightning are “one of the hazards of this time of year” due to summer thunderstorms, he said early this morning.
As chief for 15 years, “I guess I’ve seen a few of them. We’ve now had, within the same one- or two-mile area, three of them in the last 10 years. It’s really kind of strange.”
The original fire, at 11:40 p.m. Friday, had caused $6,000 damage, and King lost a diesel motor at the barn.
Then came the second fire, at 1:20 a.m. today.
As smoke poured from the barn into the warm, humid night, lights guided firefighters who were pointing the powerful hoses toward the fire.
After the fire, firefighters from the Intercourse company weren’t expected to have a lot of time to rest up today.
The fire company was scheduled to hold a pig roast — from 10 o’clock this morning until the food is sold out — at its fire hall, at 10 N. Hollander Road.
Said Diener after the all-nighter he and the others had: “Iced tea is keeping me going.”
Along with Intercourse, fire companies at the fire scene overnight included New Holland, Gordonville, Bird-in-Hand, Bareville, Witmer, Martindale, Blue Ball, Farmersville, Kinzer and White Horse. Also responding was the Gordonville EMS crew.
Centerville Road had to be closed between Scenic and Mill Creek roads while firefighters battled the blaze, according to county emergency officials.
