Bystanders watch as firefighters continue to work on a fire at 85 W. Newport Road, Lititz, Saturday.
A man looks over a barn that was destroyed by fire at 85 W. Newport Road, Lititz, Saturday.
A two-alarm fire destroyed a small hay barn in Warwick Township Saturday.
The barn at 85 W. Newport Road was fully involved when firefighters arrived.
The fire was caused by damp hay.
"If you put the hay away when it's still kind of wet, the chemical process of it breaking down gives off heat, and causes it to smolder and catch fire," said Lititz Fire Company Deputy Chief Mike Smith.
The alarm was called in by the property owner.
"The homeowner was inside eating lunch, saw smoke, went out to the barn, saw flames and had his wife call 911," Smith said.
The tin barn built around a wooden frame went up quickly and was destroyed. Firefighters sifted through the debris with a skid loader, using it to remove sheets of scorched tin so the hay underneath could be spread out and doused with water to prevent further smoldering.
Smith said the property owner, whom he did not identify, was "still shaken up" by the fire and preferred not to talk to the press.
Between 35 and 40 firefighters battled the blaze, bringing it under control within about 20 minutes.
Saturday's heat was a factor in how the fire was fought, Smith said. Because it was battled defensively, meaning no firefighter was going to enter the burning structure, crews were kept at a distance and allowed to "dress down." This meant they could remove their heavy coats and hoods "to allow body heat to escape, rather than have it trapped inside their gear," Smith said.
Also, extra crews were called in so firefighters could be rotated frequently.
"In a typical fire, we'd look to rotate guys every 20 to 30 minutes," Smith said. "Today, we're rotating guys every five to 10 minutes."
Extra emergency medical personnel were also on hand. They set up tents and misting fans, and provided plenty of water to keep everyone hydrated.
Smith had no estimate of damage from the fire.