07-20-2019, 11:07 AM
That's what pisses me HH. I'm about as out there as you can get in NY and still keep livestock. Nearest neighbor is 2 1/2 miles, village is around 28 and is no more than a feed store, a bar, a ma & pa and a dozen houses with the satellite fire station containing the rescue truck. The "big" village with the school is 62 miles away! I paid for that with the fire though, waiting on the fire crew.
I used to use the area above the office for storage but quit that practice a decade or so ago. I power wash the barn, including ( or especially) the upper reaches, to limit build-up of dust, dirt, bird droppings (though I have(or had) ways of preventing birds) and such, but that area and above the tack room didn't get reached as easily. I didn't lock the barn to provide access in event of an emergency. Didn't think I had to worry so much way out here. Even so, I'm armed pretty regularly as well. A habit from being in the service so long more than anything else really.
The Marshall and Arson team have no answers yet of course, and wouldn't tell me if they did. My local Fire Chief though, who's a close friend, has told me they found several bent spoons, a melted radio, burned remains of 'Brillo' pad boxes, glass pipes and spray cans, and a burned back pack. Looks like they were into everything. He also said there were whiskey bottles and a lot of cigarette butts. He implied that was the point of origin for the fire. We'll see. If so, this will change my insurance pay-out btw.
sw
