Monroe barn fire loss tops $100,000

By ELLEN KOLMAN - Staff Writer - ekolman@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

March 19, 2009 11:11 pm

— MONROE TOWNSHIP — The estimated loss from the contents of the barn fire at 6436 Bushnell Road on Tuesday afternoon is in excess of $100,000, said Fire Capt. Pete Hall of the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Department.
“The cause of the fire has not been determined yet,” Hall said. “Because the barn was so far gone, it could take up to a week to determine the cause.”
Dave Cole, owner of the property, had just returned home from picking up his children at school, around 3:30 p.m. and saw smoke pouring out of the back end of the barn.
“In 10 minutes the whole thing went up,” Cole said.
Cole’s barn, as well as its contents, was a total loss. The contents included a stored 1917 Model T Ford touring car, chickens and all of Cole’s farming equipment.
Cole’s house and a new outbuilding were not damaged by the fire.
The fire departments that responded to the fire were from Conneaut and Monroe, Sheffield, Plymouth and Pierpont townships.
Assistant fire chief Jason Coy of the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Department was in command at the fire scene. No one was injured in the blaze.