BUCKFIELD — About 50 firefighters from six towns battled a barn fire Saturday that singed a nearby trailer and melted siding on a nearby house.

“The barn was fully involved when we got here,” Buckfield Fire Capt. Steve Campbell said. “We turned our attention to saving the homes.”

The fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. at 11 Jim Warner Road. The barn was part of an organic beef cattle farm owned by Richard Piper.

Within minutes, Buckfield fire was joined by departments from Sumner, Hebron, Turner, Paris and Norway.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Campbell said he did not know whether any animals were inside the building when it caught fire.

By 5:30 p.m., the barn was reduced to charred and smoking rubble.

“It’s a total loss,” Campbell said. The building measured about 60 feet by 40 feet and was tall. “It was a big old New England-style barn.”

Also destroyed were a truck and an excavator that were inside.

Firefighters were calling for an excavator to help reach some of the still-burning rubble deep in the site.

“We’re going to be here for a while,” Campbell said at about 5:30 p.m.

He said there was no word yet on how the fire started.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office is scheduled to investigate on Monday.

dhartill@sunjournal.com

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