UPDATE:Fire Destroys Barn at Area Dairy Farm

Print

Published on November 3 2014 3:26 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Fire destroyed a barn at the John Meyer dairy farm early Sunday morning.

Teutopolis firefighters were summoned to the farm north of Teutopolis about 3am. The farm is located along the St. Francis Township Road. Chad Mette of the Teutopolis Fire Department said Meyer was awakened when he heard the cattle rustling and dogs barking. When he looked outside, Meyer saw the barn engulfed in flames. Mette said the barn was already on the ground when they reached the scene. He said you could see the fire from Teutopolis.

Both livestock and sawdust was inside the barn. Mette said 40 head of cattle were killed in the fire. Teutopolis was assisted by firefighters from Shumway, Sigel and Effingham at the scene and said firefighters from Montrose and Watson and Altamont Chief Jon Becker staffed the Teutopolis station in case of another fire call. No firefighters were injured.

Mette said the cause of the fire has not been determined, but could have been electrical in origin. Firefighters cleared the scene at 6:20am.