Pole barn destroyed in early Friday fire

Firefighters tackle a blaze that destroyed a pole barn in Jefferson Township early Friday morning.

Courtesy Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department

BELLE UNION — A pole barn in Jefferson Township was destroyed in a blaze that called upon four fire departments early Friday morning.

A box alarm was dropped at about 3 a.m. for a structure fire at 6508 S. CR 475 East. Firefighters from the Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department arrived first on the scene with an engine and a tanker as the barn was fully engulfed and partially collapsed.

With the former’s engine, tankers were mobilized from the Jefferson Township and Reelsville volunteer fire departments, while manpower from the Greencastle Fire Department arrived in an engine. Putnam County EMS and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office were on standby, while Hendricks Power secured the electricity.

The L-shaped structure was drywalled and air-conditioned, as well as had living quarters inside.

Jefferson Township Fire Chief Rick Cooper detailed that firefighters had to cut through the sheet metal and drywall to gain access. This was as handlines could not reach entry points on the barn’s far side.

Water was refilled at Cloverdale Township VFD’s station during the operation as the Cataract Volunteer Fire Department provided coverage there. Cooper related that the water supply was not an issue with the fire being defensive.

“The real problem was that it was down a long lane, about half a mile,” Cooper said of the narrow driveway which apparatuses backed out of to leave the scene.

With it under control within an hour of the dispatch, the fire was marked out at about 5:55 a.m. About 10,000 gallons of water were used as such.

After overhaul was conducted and extensions were checked for, command was terminated at about 6:20 a.m.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Though a definite cause is undetermined, Cooper provided that the fire’s origin could be traced to a heater that was inside the barn.

Though the barn itself is considered a total loss, Cooper said there were items which could be salvaged. As such, he estimated damages overall at approximately $100,000.

According to Putnam County GIS, the property on which the barn stood is listed to Terry and Ashley Smith.