One person injured, animals killed in Tuesday barn fire
Several animals perished and one person was injured in a large pole barn fire that occurred southeast of Greencastle Tuesday evening.
A box alarm was dropped at about 7:45 p.m. for a structure fire located at 884 E. CR 200 South. With the smoke reportedly seen from as far as Barnard, the barn was fully involved as the Greencastle Fire Department arrived on the scene.
Due to the blaze’s extent and Greencastle Fire’s engines not being immediate to hydrants, a second box alarm was activated for tankers and additional manpower. They came from the Reelsville, Madison Township, Bainbridge, Fillmore and Cloverdale Township volunteer departments, as well as the Putnamville Correctional Facility.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and Putnam County EMS also responded to the incident. Meanwhile, personnel from Duke Energy came to cut the power to the barn.
With the response a strictly defensive effort, Greencastle Fire Asst. Chief Rob Frank said three handlines were used on each side of the structure. With tankers shuttling from the hydrants, a drop tank was utilized to relay water between Greencastle Fire’s engines.
An excavator was used to pull down part of the tin exterior so firefighters could access the various hot spots. The fire was marked under control by 9:30 p.m., after which overhaul of the mangled debris was conducted.
“Whenever you have a big pole barn that burns with a bunch of tin on it, it collapses down on everything that’s inside of it,” Frank said. “We gotta move that in order to get into those hot pockets of fire in there.”
Putnam County CERT provided coffee and hot chocolate in the meantime. Command of the scene was finally terminated at 11:10 p.m.
Frank relayed that an individual incurred first- and second-degree burns after a propane tank exploded and caused the fire. The person was transported to Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis for evaluation and later released.
Frank estimated total damages at approximately $200,000 for the barn itself and contents, which included gates and a tractor.
According to Putnam County GIS, the property on which the barn stood is listed to Ben and Jodie Latham.