A barn in Leighton Townshipwas severely burned Wednesday morning, prompting three area departments to be summoned.
The barn, located near 137th Avenue and Kalamazoo Avenue (Fourth Street) was 44 years old and at one time was regarded as the biggest in Allegan County.
Local citizen Janel Timmerman Hott, whose father helped build the barn, said, “To some it was just a barn that burned down but to me it was more than just a barn, it was generations of memories. The barn didn’t belong to our family any more which is heartbreaking in itself and now it’s completely gone.”
The fire completely consumed the 100×150-foot structure. There were no water hydrants nearby, which hampered firefighters’ efforts.
The family living at the site was evacuated and the blaze did spread to the field outside the barn. There were reports there were more than 100 head of cattle, but assessments of the loss of animals were not clear.
