Dunbarton barn fire kills pony and six ducks
DUNBARTON — Disposal of burning wood embers on the ground near a barn is blamed for a fire that destroyed the building, killing a pony and six ducks early Monday, fire officials said.
Dunbarton Fire Chief Jon Wiggin said the fire was reported shortly after 5:15 a.m. Monday, when a passerby saw smoke and flames from a barn at 221 Stark Highway South.
The animals were trapped inside by the fire. However, fire crews prevented the fire in the barn from spreading to a much larger barn located nearby.
Wiggin described the larger barn as a two-and-one-half story former dairy barn that was nearly 200 years old.
“Luckily, the wind was blowing away from the main barn,” Wiggin said.
The cause of the fire was the disposal of burning embers at a site near the barn. Wiggin said strong winds apparently blew the embers toward the barn that burned.
“We could see the glow from the pile,” Wiggin said. “It was an unfortunate accident.”