Blaze destroys barn

Article Photos

MIFFLIN - A barn built in the 1960s owned by brothers Larry and Delmar Zimmerman caught fire Tuesday morning in Walnut, displacing 85 cows.

Mifflin Fire Department Chief Todd Oberlin confirmed that the barn was completely destroyed by the fire, which began around 11:40 a.m. and most likely originated from a piece of barn cleaning equipment that ignited the hayloft and spread throughout the barn. Oberlin said the fire was out by 3 p.m. and no people or animals were harmed, adding that only six of the cows were in the barn at the time of the fire and all made it out.

Oberlin said there was plenty of equipment at the scene and water supply was not a problem, with ten tankers at the location.

"I think there was only one company from Juniata County that wasn't at the scene," Oberlin said.

Numerous fire companies from across Juniata, Mifflin and Perry counties responded to the fire on Tuesday. Mifflintown, Mifflin, Friendship, Ickesburg, Beale, West Granville, Strodes Mills, Thompsontown, Delaware Township, Fayette, Richfield, East Salem, Reedsville, Highland Park, Junction, Burnham and Millerstown fire companies and Central Juniata EMS responded to the fire.