GRIMES CO. SHERIFF LOSES BARN TO FIRE

  

Fire destroyed a 30-year-old barn on the property of Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell in a matter of minutes Sunday afternoon.

Sowell believes that embers from his brand new smokehouse that had recently been built started the fire after a sudden gust of wind.

Sowell says he grabbed a nearby water hose and tried to keep the flames from spreading.

Sowell says fire departments began to arrive on scene around 20 minutes later and the flames were quickly put out.

The barn served the Grimes County Sheriff as a multipurpose center.  Sowell says he considered the barn to be his personal 'man cave'.

While the flames were beginning to spread, Sowell was able to grab a golf cart and lawn mower, but the fire spread so quickly that it was impossible to grab everything.

Sowell says plans are already being put in place to rebuild the barn.