ANSONIA – Fire crews from across Darke County battled a second alarm barn fire early Thursday morning. At approximately 3:50 a.m., emergency personnel from Ansonia Fire and Rescue, as well as numerous mutual aid companies, along with deputies from the Darke County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to 5161 Beamsville-Union City Road in regards to a fully involved barn fire.
According to Ansonia Fire Chief Paul McCleskey, arriving units reported heavy smoke and flames coming from a large barn as well as a semi-tractor and trailer located near the barn. A second alarm was requested for additional tankers and manpower as crews began a defensive attack on the blaze. Along with the barn that was burned to the ground, a semi-tractor and trailer were also lost in the blaze. A nearby additional outbuilding was damaged as a result of exposure to the fire; however, the extent of damage to that structure has not yet been determined.
“We were all in bed and I was upstairs when I kept hearing a banging noise coming from outside, which isn’t unusual coming from the old barn,” stated Tammy Gregory, who lives directly across the street from where the barn fire occurred. “I looked outside and saw the barn on fire and ran downstairs and woke everyone up just in case we had to get out of the house,” she added. “I called 911 and by the time they were able to get here everything was just gone.” Mrs. Gregory also added that in the time before fire crews arrived there were numerous small explosions that could be heard coming from the barn and semi.
One firefighter was injured in the course of battling the fire. According to EMS personnel on the scene, one firefighter was transported to Wayne HealthCare in Greenville after suffering a minor ankle injury soon after arriving on the scene.
The cause and nature of the fire are unknown at this time and the fire will remain under investigation by the Ansonia Fire Department and the Darke County Sheriff’s Office.
