Fire crews were still on scene as the sun came up Friday, Dec. 22, extinguishing the last remnants of a large barn fire that claimed the life of a family dog, and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
A fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. in a construction barn at the rear of a property located at 4198 S. U.S. Route 68, West Liberty, owned by Jeremy and Erin LeVan. The barn reportedly housed excavation equipment that Mr. LeVan utilizes for his business, including backhoes, trucks and excavators.
Multiple fuel tanks inside the barn reportedly accelerated the blaze and several neighbors in the area reported hearing very loud booms as the fuel tanks exploded. No injuries were reported.
In a Facebook post, the family’s Yorkie dog Piper is credited for waking up the household and alerting everyone to get outside. “She saved our life but lost hers,” the post said. Crews were on scene for about six hours.