by justin strawser
ROCKEFELLER TOWNSHIP - There were no reported injuries in a fire that destroyed $200,000 worth of property in a dairy barn owned by David Fisher on Route 890 Saturday night, according to Sunbury Second Assistant Fire Chief Russell Wertz.
The three-story building, three wagons and a 30-foot grain elevator was insured for $110,000 and was a total loss. There were also 400 bails of hail worth $90,000, which were owned by someone else, burned up in the fire, Wertz said.
The bottom floor is where the dairy cows were milked and the top two floors were used for storage, he said.
The fire, which was reported fully involved at approximately 6 p.m., took place on the property of Augustaville Farms on Route 890, less than a quarter-mile from Trout Pond Road (Route 4022), and was upgraded to two alarms by 6:30 p.m., summoning nearly 80 fire fighters from eight local communities.
No humans or animals were hurt as a result of the fire.
"Three pigs were chased out by us. The dairy cattle were pushed out of the barn before they called us," Wertz said.
There were also at least 11 horses grazing in a fenced pasture nearby.
"Everybody was fine. For being such a big fire, nobody got hurt," Wertz said.
When the fire departments arrived, they immediately watered a horse stable close by so it wouldn't catch fire from the heat, Wertz said.
He also noted the silo right near the barn was not in danger, because the wind was pushing the fire away from the tall, empty structure.
The fire was under control by 10 p.m. and fire officials left the scene by 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Wertz said.
State Police Fire Marshal Norm Fedder will be investigating with Sunbury Fire Chief Mike Rhoades and Sunbury Fire Department Assistant Chief Richard Sinko at 9 a.m. today to determine the cause and origin.
"Everything went up. It's hard to say with a barn fire what may have caused it," Wertz said.