News: Fire Destroys Barn... (1947)

MILLER

Posted By: Melissa Mayhew Grandt (email)
Date: 5/20/2009 at 08:08:33

Mt Pleasant News, Mt Pleasant (Henry Co.), Iowa, 16 September 1947, p4.

Fire Destroys Barn And Hay Near Fairfield
Fairfield--A fire of unknown origin destroyed a large barn and several tons of hay on the Richard Miller farm seven miles west of Fairfield early Monday morning. Fire departments from Fairfield and Batavia responded to the call but the flames had gained too much headway to save the building when they arrived.

The farm is owned by Martin Miller and occupied by his son, Richard. The barn was 120 feet long and 24 feet wide and was located south and west of the farm house.

Mr. Miller said he had no idea how the blaze started. When he discovered it about 6 a.m., the fire was burning on top the baled hay piled in the west end of the structure. In just a few minutes the wind had whipped it the entire length of the long structure.

The owner said there were about 400 bales of hay in the barn, and he believed it weighed about 12 tons.

Firemen and neighbors saved a smaller building close by although it was badly scorched from the intense heat.