Barn lost in St Joseph Co. Grange Fair fire, leaders say
CENTREVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — A barn at the St. Joseph County Grange Fair has been lost after a fire on the grounds Saturday.
Nobody was hurt, and the fairgrounds in Centreville were evacuated, the fair said in a Facebook post. Residents were asked to avoid the scene during the fire.
A post on Sunday morning said Barn #42 had been lost in the fire. It’s not clear how the flames started but it is being investigated, the fair wrote.
“Winter storage removal for items stored directly with the St. Joseph County Grange Fair has been completed,” according to the fair. The post said the St. Joseph County Grange Fair would not be answering phone calls about stored items for privacy reasons.
It thanked responding fire departments, excavating companies, sheriff’s offices, and various fairground management.
“Due to the hard work and quick response of our local fire departments, the fire was contained to one barn. We will be assessing surrounding barns and trees for structural integrity to ensure the safety of everyone who visits the fairgrounds,” the fair wrote.
It said the grounds would be closed temporarily until inspections are complete and determined to be safe. A recycling event scheduled for May 2 is still expected to happen, the fair said.
The St. Joseph County Grange Fair, which is scheduled for Sept. 15 through Sept. 21, is still scheduled as normal, although the “landscape may look a little different,” the fair said.
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