Update: Fire departments were cleared from the barn at about 10:30 pm Thursday, according to Otisco’s fire chief.
Otisco, NY — Smoldering hay sent fire crews back to the scene of a devastating fire that left a barn a total loss and killed an undetermined number of animals.
Five fire departments were called at about 6 pm Thursday to the former Bloom Farm at 2355 Route 80 for the rekindled fire.
Otisco Fire Chief Tyler Harty said firefighters have been checking on the barn about every hour during the day and early night since Tuesday.
“(The hay) has been smoldering ever since,” Harty said. “We got the majority of it knocked down the other night, but the fire load has still been smoldering slowly. It just happened to get a whole lot worse tonight.”
Otisco, Amber, South Onondaga, Navarino and Tully firefighters responded to the barn for the rekindled fire Thursday night, Harty said.
There’s a chance they will have to continue checking the barn for more rekindlings the next couple of days to a week, Harty said.
Harty said he’s hoping the farm owners will bring an excavator to pull the smoldering hay away from the barn to spread it out and snuff out any remaining flames and smoke.
“We’re hoping it won’t be too much longer,” Harty said.
On Tuesday, firefighters from four counties spent more than 12 hours at the barn that was fully engulfed in flames.
By the time the first crews were finished working on the fire at about 10:30 pm Tuesday, three firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and an unknown number of animal were dead.
Two of the injured firefighters were taken to the hospital but have since been released. The third was treated the scene.
The cause of the barn fire is still being investigated by Onondaga County Fire Investigators, Harty said Thursday.
Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him at 315-690-6950, at [email protected], or on Twitter at @byfernandoalba.
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