Fire destroys Morristown barn, kills approximately 40 cows
Jan. 28—MORRISTOWN — A fire destroyed a barn and everything inside it Thursday afternoon on Atwood Road in the town of Morristown.
The barn was owned by Frank and Scheline Crosby and was fully engulfed when fire officials arrived to the scene.
Nobody was home when the fire began, and the fire was called in by someone passing by, Brier Hill Fire Department President Dave Stout said.
High winds made battling the fire even more difficult, Mr. Stout said, while also adding that the fire officials were in "defense mode trying to protect the house and outbuildings," a successful effort.
According to wunderground.com, a website that tracks weather from previous days, between noon and 1 p.m. the temperature hovered around 20 degrees, and winds, which can cause problems for containing fires were blowing in the south-southwest direction at 18 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph. This was recorded at Ogdensburg International Airport, about 18 miles from Atwood Road.
Mr. Stout said that about 40 cows were lost in the blaze along with three tractors and a manure spreader.
Brier Hill and Morristown Ladies Auxiliary brought hot drinks and food to firefighters at the scene.
Roughly 80 firefighters responded shortly after 12:30 p.m.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Brier Hill Fire Department responded with mutual aid from Morristown, Hammond, Heuvelton and Alexandria Bay fire departments.
