160 animals lost in West Turin barn fire

CONSTABLEVILLE — A barn fire Monday night in the town of West Turin killed 120 cows and 40 calves.

"It's going to be a major, major loss," said Lewis County Fire Coordinator James M. Martin.

Constableville firefighters were called at 11:58 p.m. to the Scott J. Markham farm at 3513 West Road and requested mutual aid from Turin, Boonville, Lyons Falls, Port Leyden and West Leyden fire departments.

The building and its contents — including the livestock, milking equipment, two tractors and a generator — were a total loss, Mr. Martin said.

Firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to a nearby garage and pole barn, the latter containing about 60 more milking cows and an unspecified number of calves, he said.

"They did a really good job of fighting the fire the best they could," Mr. Martin said.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire has been listed as undetermined and it remains under investigation. It doesn't appear to be suspicious, but an official cause may be difficult to determine because of the extent of damage at the apparent point of origin, Mr. Martin said.

The blaze apparently started in the corner of the L-shaped barn, possibly in the area of the milkhouse where all the power lines enter the structure, Mr. Martin said. "But it was all modern wiring, modern breakers," he said.

A family member was in the barn between 10 and 11 p.m., and a milk truck also was there during that period, Mr. Martin said. However, a bulk tank washer was the only piece of equipment left operating when the building was vacated, and the family hadn't had any problems with it in the past.

A Lewis County sheriff's deputy drove near the farm between 11:15 and 11:30 p.m. but didn't see anything out of the ordinary, Mr. Martin said. The deputy got back to the scene within five minutes of the fire call, and the structure was already fully engulfed, he said.

A neighbor noticed the fire and alerted the Markhams, who reported it, Mr. Martin said.

There was insurance on the barn, which was built in 1985.

This is the third time the main barn on the farm has been destroyed by fire, including once exactly 24 years to the day of Monday's blaze, Mr. Martin said.

"The place has been in the family for years," he said.

Mr. Martin said he was unsure whether the family would rebuild the barn but said it likely will be a difficult decision, given the current state of farming.