Animals Rescued As Barn Burns
Fire destroyed a barn behind a Trentwood home Monday, less than three months after the house was damaged by a fire.
A neighbor discovered Monday’s blaze about noon and summoned firefighters. No one was injured by the fire, which firefighters knocked down while two men were working in the living room of the home at 4610 N. Adams that was damaged during a November fire.
On Nov. 20, flames from a warming fire in the fireplace escaped though cracks in the chimney, sparking a fire in the living room and attic. Barry and Andra Arment left the fire burning overnight to keep their family warm while the house was without power in the aftermath of the ice storm that left 100,000 homes in the dark.
No one was hurt by the November blaze.
On Monday, witnesses reported seeing flames shooting from the south side of the barn, which was used to store hay and lumber. Two donkeys and two horses also were inside.
A tall cloud of thick, black smoke billowed from the red and white barn when firefighters arrived.
Flames threatened a camper, minivan and pickup truck parked next to the barn. Firefighters managed to save the vehicles and animals, but could not stop the fire from reducing the barn to a charred skeleton covered by a tangled metal roof.
“It was getting hot enough it was starting to melt a tarp on top of the camper,” Lobdell said.
Barry Arment, 37, who came home while firefighter were attacking the flames, declined to comment.
Firefighters spent several hours Monday afternoon picking through two tons of hay and extinguishing smoldering pieces.
A cause still had not been found Tuesday, but fire investigators will try to determine if faulty wiring was to blame. The barn had electricity to power a few overhead lights, said Deputy Fire Marshal Eric Olson.
Olson said Arment told him he thought the barn was insured for $10,000, but said damage would exceed that amount.
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