FPS staff report
August 25, 2009
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| Matt Tobin, a Carroll County Volunteer Fireman, sprays water on the remains in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed a large barn on the Stanley and Diane Miller farm early Sunday morning. |
A cow and four calves perished in a fire that destroyed a large barn at the Stanley and Diane Miller farm at 1225 Scio Rd., just south of Carrollton early Sunday morning.
Fire fighters from ten area fire departments were called to fight the blaze which was reported at 4:02 a.m.
“I had just checked one of our cows who was due to calf about 1:30 a.m. and everything was o.k. But when I looked out the window at 4 a.m., the barn was engulfed in flames,” Mrs. Miller said.
Lost in the fire, in addition to the five animals, were some 4,000 square bales of hay, a round baler and hay elevator, and three tractors, including a 656 International, a Farmall and an International Cub.
However, firefighters were able to save between 70 and 80 cattle which were in the barn at the time the fire broke out. They were part of a herd of some 120 Pinzgauer beef cattle the Millers own.
To fight the blaze, firefighters used some 160,000 gallons of water taken from fire hydrants located on SR 332 near Fusion Ceramics, a hydrant at Public Square Park in Carrollton and a farm pond at the Tom Pugh residence on Antiqua Rd. Water was transported by volunteer firemen to the site where it was transferred from portable ponds into tanker trucks.
Damage has been estimated to the 150x60-foot three-story barn at $60,000 with no estimate to the contents. According to the Millers, the loss was covered by insurance.
Carrollton Assistant Fire Chief Bill Wells said fire fighters were on the scene for 9 hours. The Village Fire Department was recalled again at 5 a.m. Monday morning when the fire rekindled.
Providing mutual aide to the Carrollton Village Fire Department were two units each from volunteer fire departments at Perrysville, Scio, Loudon Twp., Dellroy, Fox Twp. Augusta, Brown Twp. and Waynesburg, 3 units from the Carroll County Volunteer Fire Department, manned by over 60 fire fighters from the ten area departments.
The Millers said they plan to rebuild the barn and continue their beef farming operation in Union Twp.
“Everyone was just wonderful in responding by bringing us food and offering hay for our cattle. We just want to thank everyone for everything they did,” Mrs. Miller said. |
