WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — Joe Procker heard an explosion inside his massive metal barn Saturday night just after 10 o’clock.
Within seconds, the structure as long as a football field — and filled with farm implements — was engulfed in flames, lighting up the sub-zero winter night.
On Sunday morning, standing next to the still-smoking ruins at 1960 Woodville Road, Procker said he didn’t know what caused the explosion and fire.
“It could have been fuel tanks or anything,” he said after walking through the rubble with his brother, Mike, and a member of the Washington Township Fire Department.
Charred remains of a combine, tractors, trucks and more still smoked inside the destroyed barn. Twisted metal walls and collapsed support beams were easily visible.
No one was injured in the blaze, which also destroyed tools and file cabinets containing decades of records, according to Mike Procker.
Procker, who farms around 800 acres with family members and friends, said they started building the 300-foot-long, 54-foot-wide barn in 1989 and added on to it twice over the years.
Patrick Compton with the Washington Township Fire Department said Joe Procker, who lives across the street from the barn, called at 10:12 p.m. to report the fire.
“Responding units could see it (burning) from Ohio 13 and I-71,” said Compton, who served as the on-scene commander. “It was fully involved when the first units arrived and was fully vented out through all sides of the building.”
(Below are photos and a video taken Sunday morning at the scene of a massive barn fire on Saturday night at 1960 Woodville Road in Washington Township. The story continues below the images.)
Firefighters had to battle the frigid cold for about 90 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
“We had a lot of issues with fire apparatus and freezing for sure,” he said.
The closest fire hydrants were near Ohio 13/I-71, so tankers had to haul water up to the burning barn.
Mutual aid was requested and came from the Mansfield Fire Department, as well as Troy Township, Jefferson Township, Worthington Township and Madison Township fire departments.
Compton said there were 20 to 25 firefighters involved in the battle.
“We are grateful for the mutual aid and also the assistance of the Red Cross,” he said.
Compton said the State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.