WASHINGTON CO. FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BARN FIRE

  

Multiple Washington County fire departments responded Tuesday to a large barn fire.

Units from the Gay Hill Volunteer Fire Department were called out around 4:30 p.m. to a barn in the 8100 block of Highway 36 North.

According to Gay Hill Volunteer Fire Assistant Chief Robert Buchman, the department found heavy fire and smoke coming from the second story of the barn, which was filled with approximately 500 hay bales.

Around 50 firefighters from surrounding departments assisted at the scene, including the Brenham Fire Department and the Prairie Hill, Berlin, Salem, Latium and Meyersville Volunteer Fire Departments.  Additional help was provided by Washington County EMS, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington County CERT Team. 

Firefighters worked with the owner of the barn on fire suppression by pulling hay out of the barn with heavy equipment.  The departments cleared the scene shortly after 9 p.m.

While the structure and the hay were deemed a total loss, Buchman said no injuries were reported, and many of the saddles and other items of equipment were recovered without damage. 

According to Buchman, the cause of the fire is believed to be from employees performing torch cutting and grinding on the structure, which led to sparks igniting the hay.