Barn Destroyed Sunday Morning North Of Sidney
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews
SIDNEY — Firefighters and tankers from eight fire departments responded to a barn fire north of Sidney. The highway, from CR 650S to CR 725S, was closed to traffic. The barn was located at 6778 S. SR 13, Sidney.
Sidney Fire Department was notified of the fire around 8:20 a.m. and immediately called for a full assist from Pierceton Fire Department and tanker assistance from Winona Lake. Tanker and/or engine assistance was also requested from Silver Lake, Claypool, South Whitley and Warsaw. North Manchester was contacted to bring its ladder truck for an aerial assault.
Tankers were refilled from two fire hydrants at Pierceton Elementary. It was estimated a tanker was being refilled approximately every two minutes.
Three water drop tanks were set up at the scene. Two drop tanks supplied water to Sidney’s pumper truck that supplied water to fire hoses for firefighters to fight the inferno.. The third drop tank was set up to supply water to North Manchester’s Ladder truck which was used to direct water on the barn after it collapsed.
The barn is owned by James Scott and Kimberly Brown, according to county records on Beacon.
According to Sidney Firefighter Jon Engelhaupt, the lower level of the barn contained stacks of pallets. Firefighters were able to remove a trailer from the barn.
Leesburg, Burket and Warsaw fire departments were put on standby for three of the fire departments responding.