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SILVER LAKE - No cause was given for the fire that destroyed a barn Tuesday morning near Silver Lake, and the fire department isn't going to investigate it. However, a fire at the South Central Emergency Medical Services building will be investigated by the State Fire Marshal's Office.
Silver Lake Fire Department Chief Morris Jones said the barn fire at the Jay Parker farm resulted in a total loss. This is the second fire at the farm in as many months, Jones said, with the first fire resulting in loss of equipment.
In Tuesday's fire, crews worked more than six hours to contain the barn blaze at the Parker farm on CR 450W, north of Ind. 14, near Silver Lake. Jones said some pigs were lost in the fire, but farm hands were able to remove the cattle from the structure to safety.
Jones said the fire department was called to the farm at 4:08 a.m. when hired hands arriving for work saw flames in the upper part of the barn. Because of the large amount of hay and other debris in the barn, Jones said his department isn't planning to look for a cause for the fire and will leave the investigation up to Parker's insurance adjuster.
Fighting the fire was at first difficult because the flames were out of control when firefighters arrived on the scene, but "we had the wind in our favor," Jones said. He said the wind was blowing to the north, where there was only a tool shed to protect from the fire spreading. There also is another barn and a house on the property.
Assisting at the scene were Burket, Sidney, Claypool and Henry Township fire departments, with a crew from SCEMS on the scene as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
While crews were on the scene of the barn fire, a fire at the SCEMS building was reported at 4:56 a.m.
That fire, while resulting in minimal damage, according to Jones, will be investigated by the State Fire Marshal's Office because the facility is a municipal building.
That fire is believed to have started in the bay where the ambulance is kept, which means the ambulance parking is temporarily displaced.
Claypool and Sidney firefighters responded to extinguish the fire at the EMS building.
