A barn that housed several kinds of animals caught fire Sunday afternoon (Oct. 15) in the 14000 block of Klondike Road in the De Soto area, but thanks to firefighters’ quick work, most of the animals were rescued. However, some chickens died in the blaze, which also destroyed the structure, De Soto Rural Assistant Chief Tom Fitzgerald said.
At about 2 p.m., the De Soto Rural Fire Protection District got a call about the barn fire. A woman who lives in the house next to the barn noticed the fire and called 911, Fitzgerald said.
When firefighters arrived, they found the barn engulfed in flames, along with pens that were near the barn and contained animals, he said
“There were pens adjacent to the barn that were burning and firefighters went and opened the pens,” Fitzgerald said.
In addition to chickens, other animals inside or near the barn were billy goats, geese, turkeys, a rooster and one sheep. All but some of the chickens escaped, Fitzgerald said.
The fire was burning so hot at one point that the house next to it, just 25 feet away, was threatened, Fitzgerald said.
“That’s not uncommon when they are that close,” he said. “The siding melted off the back of the house.”
Firefighters were able, however, to keep the house from catching on fire, Fitzgerald said.
The wind was blowing that afternoon and the area is in a moderate drought, but there was nothing unusual about the fire that made it difficult to fight, he said.
The barn was “totaled” in the fire, Fitzgerald said.
“The cause (of the fire) is undetermined,” he said. “The insurance company is looking into it.”
Firefighters were on the scene about two hours, Fitzgerald said.
The De Soto and Desloge fire departments, as well as the Hillsboro Fire Protection District assisted with the call.