A baler, combine and three tractors were destroyed Friday night in a fire north of Washington Court House that left a barn a total loss.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Bloomingburg Paint Marion (BPM) Fire Department was called to 10001 Post Road in Madison Township at 9:35 p.m. Bloomingburg fire chief Ron Huff said the department arrived on scene within six minutes, at which point the barn was fully engulfed in flames.
“It was hard to extinguish the fire. It was a pretty long ordeal. It’s a total loss,” said Huff.
Bloomingburg Fire Department personnel stayed on the scene for 14 hours.
Fire departments from across the area provided assistance, said Huff: Washington C.H. Fire-Rescue, Good Hope Township Volunteer Fire Department, Pic-a-Fay Joint Fire District, Range Township Volunteer Fire Department and Tri County Joint Fire District.
Huff said a mower and other miscellaneous farm items were destroyed with the loss of the approximately 29,000 square foot barn. The barn’s owner, Rudy LeBeau, was not at the property when the fire occurred, but was soon contacted and met first responders on the scene.
The Ohio State Fire Marshal sent an investigator Monday to inspect the cause of the fire. A report was not available from the fire marshal’s office as of 5 p.m. Monday. No comments were available.
“We saw nothing suspicious. We hope nothing turns up,” said Huff. “Right now now we have no determination as to the cause. Right now, we are still investigating and it will probably be a few days until we can determine the cause, if we can determine the cause.”
No injuries were reported. Huff said that no farm animals were involved in the fire.
Look for more on this barn fire in the Record-Herald this week as more information becomes available.
