Real bad luck

[LONGTOM]

Been a long night.
Was just getting ready to relax after taking my shower at 11.30PM.
The wife was just starting to take hers when our oldest son came running through the house saying I think the barn is on fire.
I looked out and sure enough, it was.
Called 911 and out the door I went.
The man across the road came in just as I was going out.
We have the barn leased to another farmer to store hay in, 460 round bales.
Well there was no stopping it.
All I could do was to try and save the trailers I sell that was parked in front of the barn.
I was able to save 5 of them but 3 burned to the ground along with my 60' x 100' barn and all the hay.
Not sure but we think it was electrical in the breaker box that started it.
Might be able to tell more in the daylight.
Got my arm burned some from the heat while I was hooking the trailers up and pulling them out.
Got a little scary when I was pulling one of them out and the power line burned through and dropped on the roof of it.
Full 220 with sparks going everywhere.
Not sure how they are going to stop the hay from smoldering.
They said it could burn for days.
I know I don't have enough insurance to cover everything.
At least they were able to save all my other buildings that were attached to the barn.
6 companies responded and 3 more were called for back up but weren't needed.
I have a fire hydrant at the corner of the farm so they ran hoses 1300' and hooked to it for a steady supply of water.
No animals were in the barn and other than my arm, no one was hurt.
We don't have any water because the well pump got it's power from the barn.
Will have to try and rig up a long power cable from my shop to the pump until we can get it fixed right.
Just hasn't been a good year so far!
 
 
 
LONGTOM

[ironglow]

Hey Longtom;
   It sure is a tough break, losing your barn like that, here's hoping things will settle soon for you.  One consolation is that I assume nobody was in the barn when it went up..    Ironglow

[Slowhanddd]

Longtom sorry to hear that.Fire is a tuff thing.Glad no one was hurt too bad.If you were closer I'd come and get your well going again.

[Spirithawk]

Man, really sorry to hear that. Keeping you and your's in my prayers.

[powderman]

LONGTOM. I'm truly sorry to hear this. Prayers sent friend. Charlie. 

[LONGTOM]

 Man, what a circus around here today.
More firefighters, friends, phone calls, talking to the Insurance COs., 3 different news papers, a TV station, the arson investigator alone with a bus load of arson trainees from a local class that was being conducted in the area.
Looks like the fire was electrical but they can't say what caused the short.
The hay was still burning at 4:30 PM when they bought in a big track hoe to stir the hay while they sprayed more water on it.
I have to pay for the hoe.
The owner is a friend so I hope he will give me a little break.
Another friend down the road is an electrician and stopped by early this morning and offered to hook my well pump up to my 220 supply from my shop if the power Co wouldn't do it.
They would not so I gave him a call and he pulled off another job early and was here by 2:PM.
By 4:30 PM we had water.
He didn't want to charge me any labor but I paid him anyway.
Was nice to take a shower tonight.
The circus was over and gone by 6: PM with all the fire out and the remaining walls knocked down for safety.
I meet with the insurance adjuster on Monday.
Another insurance man with another Co that I have my commercial policy with was in the area on another claim and heard about the fire so he stopped by.
Said that the trailers may be covered by his policy.
That would be nice!
I had forgotten about the over 2300 board feet of walnut and 250 some board feet of cherry lumber I had stored in the barn.
This is what I was using to make my furniture for the house out of.
The wood came from our farm about 15 years ago when the county put a sewer line through us.
I cut the trees myself and helped to mill the lumber so there is some sentimental value there.
The value was estimated at around $10,000.00 for the wood.
The hay is valued at just over $25,000.00 and we found out that the owner does have his own insurance on it.
The value of the barn is still undetermined at this time.
Just glad to be able to sit back and relax a bit.
Have been up a little over 42 hours so the bed is going to feel real good tonight.
 
Thank you to those that posted their concerns and well wishes.
You all are true FRIENDS!!!
 
 
Thanks
Frank                                                                  aka    LONGTOM

[Slowhanddd]

Glad things are working out for you,or so it sounds.

[OldSchoolRanger]

The most important thing to remember is that you & your family are okay.  Hope everything works out for you.

A few words of encouragement:

Remember, it is darkest just before the dawn.