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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
FREE SOIL TOWNSHIP — Fire destroyed a barn at 8858 N. Stephens Road Thursday morning. Emergency units were dispatched to the scene at 8:32 a.m. The barn was fully engulfed in flames and mostly destroyed when the first fire department unit arrived. However, firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading to other nearby structures.
Units on scene included Free Soil/Meade Fire Department, Fountain Area Fire Department, Grant Township Fire Department, Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and Life EMS. Filer Township Fire Department and Stronach Township Fire Department were also initially requested for water supply but were disregarded. Free Soil/Meade Fire Chief Vince Williams said a large pond just a few feet from the fire helped firefighters keep a steady flow of water on the barn from a fire truck deck gun. The fire was mostly extinguished within 30 minutes.
“The deck gun let us get a lot of water on that barn quickly,” Williams said. “Deck guns use a lot of water very quickly and sometimes that can be a challenge in a rural area. But, because the pond was right there, we were able to keep the water constant.”
The barn belonged to Margaret and Richard Zajac. An 84-year-old male was provided medical attention by EMS on scene.
Also on scene was Fountain Area Fire Department Auxiliary.
Fire departments cleared the scene at 12:39 p.m.
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