Fire tears through barn in North Stonington
North Stonington — Multiple fire departments responded to a blaze that tore through a barn at 254 Pendleton Hill Road on Wednesday morning.
Two cats who had been living in the barn were missing after the fire, but other than that, no one was injured, North Stonington Fire Chief Charles Steinhart V said. No other animals had been living in the barn. The cause of the fire was still unknown and under investigation, Steinhart said. It likely was accidental, he added.
The 9:15 a.m. fire, which caused smoke that could be seen from Interstate 95 in Mystic, happened in an area without hydrants, so other towns were called to supply water.
Firefighters said they had knocked the blaze down by 10 a.m. Photos from the scene show the fire had gutted the red barn. Steinhart said the building is being considered a total loss.
Steinhart said that when crews arrived on scene, "the building was 75 percent involved."
"The first arriving crews were able to quickly engage the fire and knock it down with tanker water from North Stonington and Ashaway," Steinhart said, explaining that crews tapped a hose line 950 feet into a nearby pond to draw water to help put out the fire. "It took us about 30 minutes to get the flames under control and crews were on scene for around two hours."
Also responding were fire crews from the Old Mystic, Ashaway, Wequetequock, Pawcatuck, Mashantucket, Preston, Poquetanuck, Poquonnock Bridge and Center Groton fire departments. The North Stonington Ambulance Association and American Ambulance provided medical coverage. State police also were on scene.
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