Dane County Barn Burns in Attempt to Thaw Frozen Pipes
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 01/23/2013
An attempt to thaw some frozen pipes in a barn with an open flame turned out to be a bad idea for a southern Wisconsin farm owner. According to Dane County authorities, nine fire departments responded to a barn fire in the town of Montrose on Tuesday morning after the structure caught fire when the owner
was trying to heat up metal pipes that become frozen in this week's cold weather spell.
The blaze was reported around 10:00 a.m. at a farm on Wisconsin Highway 69. The sheriff's department says the main barn, as well as two attached barns and a detached shed were destroyed in the fire.
Several animals were being housed in the structure, but were able to be freed.
Reports say total damages could be as high as $350,000.
The department noted in a statement that using an open flame can be extremely dangerous and that using electric heat tape, hot water or a hair dryer are much safer methods for thawing pipes in the cold weather.
