Barn, storage building burn
WASHINGTON TWP — A fire at the Peaceful Valley Campground destroyed a barn and a second building that housed more than $150,000 worth of equipment.
The barn was built just a few feet behind a garage at 231 Peaceful Valley Road that housed a dump truck, skid loader, horse trailer, 30 large round bails of hay and other equipment.
Owner Glen KleinFelter watched the buildings burn Thursday afternoon from a hillside.
"Thank God my horses were out," he said.
The fire broke out about 1 p.m. As the buildings continued to burn an hour after the fire began, horses grazed on a steep hillside above the smoke.
"It was fully engulfed when we got here," said Jen Morrow, secretary of the North Washington Volunteer Fire Department.
Morrow could not say what caused the fire or where it started. No one was hurt, and no animals were injured.
KleinFelter was cutting bushes down when he heard a neighbor yelling. He walked down the road, saw smoke and the buildings covered in flames.
"Everything I own is in that barn," KleinFelter said. "I got my motorcycle. That's the only thing I could save."
He has owned the property for four years and lives on the hill above the two buildings.
"This place is a jinx," KleinFelter said. "A couple years ago my cabin here burned down. Now this."
The building was insured, and KleinFelter said he will rebuild."I'm going to have to," he said. "What am I going to do?"KleinFelter said he parked the dump truck in the front garage building earlier Thursday, and the only thing running near the building was a soda machine.The state police fire marshal was called to the scene Thursday to investigate, but did not make a determination of the cause.Nanette Checkan of New Brighton, Beaver County, who spends her summers at the campground, watched the buildings burn."We were getting ready to do laundry and we came out and saw black smoke and flames shooting out of the barn," Checkan said. "Everyone moved back. My first concern was is anybody in there."Firefighters pulled several saddles and horseback riding equipment behind the barn and into the mud.As crews continued to fight the fire in the garage, a firefighter pulled off the exterior of one side to reveal flames that were between the walls. Another firefighter rushed in to put out the flames.Petrolia, Marion Township, North Washington, West Sunbury, Eau Claire and Unionville volunteer fire departments all responded to the fire.Crews remained there until 7:30 p.m.
