Attica barn fire deemed suspicious

ATTICA, Ind. (WLFI) - A barn fire in Fountain County is raising firefighters’ eyebrows this week.

Attica and West Point fire crews tell News 18 a barn at the corner of County roads 1200 North and 850 East caught on fire sometime Wednesday morning.

Firefighters said the fire was believed to have been purposely set, because the barn had no active utilities and sat behind an abandoned house.

It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Firefighters said nothing of value was lost in the fire, but those that commit arson may not think of the dangers they put others in.

"One of our guys could have a wall fall on them or something like that," West Point Fire Chief Gary Cheesman said. "We have to be very careful. The contents that are in there, there could be something that's a hazardous material that we're breathing. There are so many different things that these individuals don't think about. when they do something like this."

Cheesman said when firefighters arrived, an old propane tank exploded and was thrown about 50 feet from the barn.

No utilities were set up in the barn and it is situated behind an empty, abandoned home.

There were no injuries and nothing of value was lost, but the barn was destroyed.