Barn destroyed by fire

POMEROY–Firefighting units from Garfield County Fire District 1, Columbia County Fire Districts 1, and 3; and Columbia/Walla Walla joint District 2, responded to a barn fire at the Robert and Ruth Yutzy place at 410 Emerson Road here, late Monday morning, March 20, 2023.

The Yutzy's large stock barn and a single-wide mobile home trailer were totally destroyed.

"Three 4-H steers were badly injured, some goats sustained burns, and one milk cow escaped with singed hair," said Ruth Yutzy. The barn roof, along with the mobile home parked on the east side of the barn, were fully involved and had collapsed by the time most fire units arrived at the remote farmstead.

Luke Spence, son of Columbia County Health System visiting nurse Mary Spence, the individual renting the mobile home, said his vehicle had a melted taillight cover from the fire's intense heat, and dents from a beam expelled by a blast from inside the barn. He said he heard an explosion and popping sounds. When Spence realized the trailer he lived in with his mother, who was not there at the time, was on fire, he managed to get the family dog, a pet rabbit, and himself out safely. He moved his car, which sustained some fire damage, to the other side of the farmstead and out of the way of further harm.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, said District 1 Chief James Cleveland, and does not appear to be of suspicious nature.

No human injury was reported. Some goats were lost.