Arson is the likely
cause of a fire which destroyed an old barn and adjacent out-building on
1050N early this morning on property in Jackson Township now owned by the
Town of Chesterton, the Liberty Township Volunteer Fire Department said.
Fire Chief Brian
Duncan told the Chesterton Tribune today that the fire was discovered
around 3 a.m. and by the time the first apparatus was on the scene it was
too late to do much more than hose the two structures down and watch them
collapse.
“They were
completely destroyed,” Duncan said. “They were fully involved on our
arrival. Shortly thereafter the roof of the barn fell in on itself.”
The property--an
old dairy operation at 270E 1050N--was donated to the town some years ago by
Olson Farms LLC as part of the permitting process for the proposed Sand
Creek Farms subdivision (now dubbed Easton Park), with the idea that the
land would be turned into a park.
Three buildings
remained on the property, however: the two-story barn, whose dimensions
Duncan put at roughly 80’ x 40’; a 20’ x 30’ single-story out-building
located some eight to 12 feet away from the barn and separated by a weedy
driveway; and the farmhouse itself, which the Chesterton Fire Department
used occasionally--but no more--for ladder and search-and-rescue training
exercises.
There wasn’t much
left of the barn to burn, Duncan noted today, as “someone a while back” had
stolen the old wood exterior, probably for an upscale re-model in someone’s
home. Even so, it took around 28,000 gallons of water to douse the fire in
both buildings and at 6 a.m. the LTVFD was still “blowing water and mopping
up hot spots.”
Assisting at the
scene--and participating in a tanker shuttle--were the Chesterton and
Westville FDs.
No one was injured
in the fire, Duncan said.
But pretty clearly
it was set, by someone, he added. Neither the barn nor the out-building has
had any utility service in years. Nor was there an electrical storm in the
area overnight and so no lightning strikes. That narrows the possible causes
significantly, Duncan said.