SIGEL —
An afternoon fire in Sigel burned down a barn, with an estimated $45,000 in damages.
At 1:34 p.m., Sigel Fire Protection District received a call of a barn burning at 349 County Road 350 N. outside of Sigel. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the barn mostly consumed by flame. Susan Vogt, the owner, made the decision to allow the barn to burn.
“We made the choice to contain the fire,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll be back to rebuild.”
Although the fire was contained by 2:15 p.m., flames still smoldered as excavation units dug tin and other metals from the burned remains. Sigel Fire Department stayed on the scene until 5:35 p.m.
Neoga, Montrose, Shumway, Dieterich, Lincoln and Teutopolis fire departments were also on the scene after a full box alert was called at 1:41 p.m. Effingham Fire Department covered the Sigel department.
The barn, which was used primarily for storing hay and beef cattle, was destroyed. Sigel Fire Chief Troy Althoff said the department doesn’t know what caused the blaze and no further investigation is pending.
“Spontaneous combustion is our best guess,” he said. “The hay had been in there for a couple of months. The cause is undetermined.”
No firefighters or family members were hurt in the fire.
Local News
Related Photos
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Susan Vogt speaks on the phone Thursday while her family's barn smolders in the background. Genna Ord
Discussion
October 5, 2012
Fire destroys barn
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