Ashton, Iowa — A hog barn was damaged in a fire on Tuesday, September 9th, near Ashton.
According to a press release from the Ashton Fire Department, at about 11:30 a.m., the Ashton Fire Department was called to the report of a hog barn on fire at 4669 240th Street — three and a quarter miles west of Ashton’s southwest corner — and just into Lyon County.
The press release says the fire department saw very light smoke with no visibly open flame, and a heat spot on the steel roof as they approached the scene.
They tell us it appeared to have been a flashover event on the east half of the barn. The fire extended into the attic space from an inlet vent where the insulation and roof structure were still burning as firefighters arrived. They tell us they advanced a hoseline to the attic area and knocked down any visible flame. Firefighters then began to overhaul the area by removing the steel ceiling. After starting the overhaul, the George Fire Department was requested for manpower.
Firefighters tell us that about a 50’x80′ area of the ceiling was opened up to make sure all the insulation was out. The flashover event appeared to have been caused by welding being done inside, igniting gases from the pit area. The pit fans were running at the time.
They tell us no injuries were reported, and there were no animals in the barn at the time of the fire.
They report that there was moderate damage to the facility.
They say the 19 firefighters and 3 EMS personnel who responded were on the scene for about 2 1/2 hours.
In addition to the George Fire Department, George EMS, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and Osceola County Emergency Management provided assistance at the scene.
