Crime & Safety
Barn Burns Down in Manhattan Township, No Injuries
A barn in Manhattan Township went up like a tinder box.
A barn on Schoolhouse Road just north of Baker Road in Manhattan Township went up like a tinder box just after 3 p.m. today.
The barn was on the property of a vacant farmhouse. According to Manhattan Fire Protection Chief Dan Forsthye, an alert went out at 3:17 p.m. Less than a half hour later, most of it had burned to the ground.
There were no animals in the barn.
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"These old barns go up fast, a lot of dry wood in it."
According to Forsthye, the property manager was on the site. He was burning debris about 200 feet from the barn when the wind picked up some sparks that spread to the barn.
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The lesson learned here, he said, "is don't burn on a windy day."
Damage is estimated at $5,000.
Firefighters from New Lenox and Homer Township Fire Protection Districts responded to the call as well.
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