Stock file photo
Archer, Iowa — A barn and the livestock in it were destroyed in a fire on Friday, April 26, 2024, near Archer.
According to Archer Fire Chief Don De Boer, at about 12:45 a.m., the Archer Fire Department was called to the report of a barn on fire at 5156 380th Street, a mile south and a mile and a half west of Archer.
The chief says the fire department saw the barn fully engulfed, with the roof collapsed as they approached the scene. He says they could see the glow of the fire from a mile and a half away in the dark. According to the chief, they knew they couldn’t save the barn, so they focused on protecting the other buildings on the farm, including a corn crib, and on putting out flare-ups in the grove, while the barn burnt to the ground.
De Boer says 20-30 head of various livestock, including goats and bottle calves were lost in the fire, but no humans reported any injuries.
The fire department was assisted by the Sheldon, Sanborn, and Primghar fire departments.
He says the cause of the fire is undetermined, but it started before the storms, so he doesn’t think it was caused by lightning.
Chief De Boer reports that the barn was completely destroyed in the blaze.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for about three hours.
