Fire destroys farm equipment barn in Corinth; cause sought

CORINTH – Fire destroyed a farm equipment barn Tuesday, igniting fuel tanks and tires inside and burning so intensely it melted motor vehicle headlights more than 100 feet away, the Corinth fire chief said.

“It was an extremely hot and difficult fire,” Corinth Fire Chief Scott Bragdon said Tuesday about the early afternoon fire at the barn on Garland Road.

Inside the large barn, estimated to be 60 feet by 60 feet, was equipment used for planting and harvesting vegetables that farm owner Frank Thomas sells to the Hannaford supermarket chain, Bragdon said. Tires were burning. Bragdon said there were 55-gallon drums of diesel fuel inside.

“Those were exploding as we were getting there,” he said.

There also were propane tanks in the area.

The fire chief said the fire spread to another building nearby, damaging it and vehicles left close to the barn

No injuries were reported, and Bragdon said the owner had insurance.

An investigator with the State Fire Marshal’s Office was on the scene Tuesday and was expected to return today to further assess what caused the fire.

Kenduskeag, Garland, Hudson, Bradford and Corinna sent firefighters and equipment to assist Corinth firefighters. The fire was reported about 1 p.m. Corinth firefighters were finished and back at their station about 5:30 p.m.