By David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com
WABASH COUNTY, Ind. – A northern Wabash County barn was lost to a fire late Saturday night.
According to Pleasant Township Fire Department (PTFD) Chief Kent Trickle, the department was dispatched around 10 p.m. Saturday, July 29 to a barn fire on 300 W., north of 1300 N.
By the time the firefighters arrived, the livestock had been evacuated and the hay-filled barn was fully engulfed. Despite efforts to extinguish the fire, including using an excavator to knock down the east side to gain access to the interior, the structure was completely destroyed.
Due to the extent of the damage, the cause of the fire cannot be determined, Trickle said.
While traveling to the scene on 300 W., just north of State Road 114, a Chester Township Fire Department (CTFD) tanker collided with a PTFD vehicle that was leaving. The CTFD tanker received damage to the left side of the cab, but the tank itself was not damaged. The PTFD truck received heavy damage to the left side, according to Trickle.
Assisting PTFD at the scene were CTFD, North Manchester Fire Department, Roann Fire Department, Silver Lake Fire Department, Sidney-Jackson Township Fire Department, Henry Township Fire Department, Wabash County Emergency Management Agency and Wabash County Sheriff’s Department.