Lightning hit one of my barns and it burnt to the ground

[csziggy]

About 5:30 AM I was awakened by a LOUD thunderclap. The cat, totally soaked came running in and jumped on the bed. I got up to dry him off and while we were trying to settle, I heard a loud BOOM. I thought it was a gunshot - sometimes the property owners are out shooting at coyotes that early in the morning. So I went back to sleep.

At 7 someone rang the doorbell. It was a fireman. They had been at the barn for a while getting the fire under control - the barn is all the way across the farm so I didn't see the fire, smell smoke or notice the firetrucks arriving. The barn is a total loss.

Since it's been rainy the trees around the barn were wet. Some of the leaves are toasted but there is not damage to them. If it had been dry, we would have had a raging forest fire!

Fortunately we have not been keeping horses in it but using it as a n equipment storage shed. The biggest loss is a brand new Kubota tractor that was just purchased by the people who are taking care of the farm and horses for me. They have insurance. My losses are the cypress that the barn was built from and a vintage Coca Cola machine that only held six ounce bottles. The barn was not insured - when we tried to get some they wanted 10% of the value of the barns per year.

The horses in the pastures next to the barn are fine, not even upset.

We are so lucky. Fifteen, twenty years ago there might have been horses in that barn.

Oh, I have no water - the fire department had the electric power cut to the barn - the power company shut it off at the transformer and the line for our other storage building and well come off the same transformer. They will be able to turn the power back on once the fire trucks clear the scene.

[TBA]

1. I'm in Leon County too...

Wicked storm last night. I'm sorry for your loss. Glad the horses are ok.

[Jim__]

2. Sorry to hear about the loss of your barn.

I'm glad no people or animals were hurt.

[Hokie]

3. Question: Did the barn have lightning rods?

I am curious if people still use those any longer and if they work.

Sorry to hear about your barn.

[hlthe2b]

5. I was going to ask that same thing... why do barns and not houses burn so easily with lightening?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Barns are big open air tinder shacks.

A house at least has some insulation and drywall to prevent airflow and slow the spread of a fire.

[csziggy]

8. No, we'd talked about it years ago but the trees were taller than the roof of the barn

And we thought they would take the hits. They have for almost forty years.

We built that barn in 1979-80. It was made from cypress that a friend of ours cut off St. Joe Paper Company land. It had a metal roof. It used to have a loft but the posts were no longer solid and we tore down half the length and took the loft down about twelve years ago.

[Hokie]

22. I have been involved a bit in lightning protection over the years

Taller objects like trees do offer some protection but it depends how much taller they are than the structure and how far away they are horizontally. If you imagine an upside down cone drawn from the top of the tree at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees all around the tree anything inside the cone is considered protected. Any part of the structure outside the cone is not protected.

Even this method is approximate and it only guarantees anything in the cone of protection is much less likely to have a lightning strike hit.

[csziggy]

26. Well, the barn used to be taller and the trees shorter

So theoretically the chances of the barn being hit were much higher decades ago.

We built the barn with a loft in 1979-80. The trees up the hill from the barn were live oaks and pines about 30 years old and were not taller than the barn was. Ten years later we planted sycamores on the other side of the barn, slightly downhill from it.

Ten years ago we tore off the loft and took down about half the length of the barn. By then the sycamores were 30-40 feet tall and the live oaks were maybe 20-30 feet taller than the barn from the floor of the barn. One pine remains and it is 80-90 feet tall but it was opposite the original end of the barn, now it was forty feet from the end.

Now the sycamores are 50-70 tall, the oaks a few feet taller than they were ten years ago.

From what you say, the barn should have been protected sufficiently by the trees. As we all know, though, lightning makes its own rules and will hit what it wants.

[Hokie]

27. The cone of protection isn't foolproof

Remember that using a 45 degree cone once you get 40 feet out from the trunk an 80 foot tall tree you are only protected to 40 feet high. At 80 feet out there is no protection at all. From what you described not all the barn would have been protected.

There is a newer model called the rolling ball or rolling sphere method that is too complicated to get into here. The protected volume is even less for this method. Most people don't think the simple cone of protection method is valid. Your barn strike would tend to support that.

[hlthe2b]

4. Ohhhhh... I am so glad to hear there were no horses or other animals in the barn..

Sorry for the property loss, but heavens. To lose animals woud be the worst.

[Scarsdale]

17. I second that.

Too bad there was no insurance, but understandable. Glad all the animals are alright. Poor cat must have been terrified.

[Laffy Kat]

6. Oh, I am so sorry, csziggy! Geeze. Thank heavens no horses hurt.

Is that Leon county is Florida? My sis lives in Leon county, FL. I better contact her.
Stay safe!

[csziggy]

10. Yes, Leon County, Florida

We're out off of Centerville Road.

I was about to totally freak until the firemen told me it was the equipment barn. The thought of a barn fire with horses in the building just stuns me.

[GulfCoast66]

19. I know that area well

Beautiful area. We have land just over the county line in Jefferson county. Lloyd area.

Sorry about your loss. It would have been tragic had your horses been in the barn.

Although losing that cypress is a minor tragedy. That type of wood cannot be replaced.

Good luck on the recovery. Have a sausage sandwich from Bradley's for lunch. They make everything better!

[csziggy]

20. I looked at land in the Lloyd area years ago

But we lucked into this piece - it was an estate sale, had been in probate for six and a half years and they had to sell or it would have gone to the state for taxes. We were in a position to offer cash. They were happy and we have loved this piece ever since.

Oh, I love Bradley's sausage - but I can't eat it any more. These days anything with any hotness to it tears me up. Maybe I'll go buy a smoked pork chop for dinner - theirs are wonderful.

[Laffy Kat]

24. Oh, my gosh.

My sister lives just down the road from Lloyd in Monticello. Just beautiful. They have many acres; a pond, complete with an alligator, all the wildlife you could want and some you wouldn't. She has game cameras set up in several places and shares the photos. They even have a bear. She loves the area and I love visiting.

[Laffy Kat]

25. I guess, they are technically in Jefferson county.

My BIL manages the JC Democratic Party.

[livetohike]

7. Glad that you and all of the animals are safe. Sorry for your

losses

[mountain grammy]

9. Glad it was raining and no livestock lost. Sorry about the barn.

[mopinko]

11. so sorry to hear that.

but like everyone else said, so glad no horses were in that barn.
and very glad the fire was contained.

[SWBTATTReg]

12. be sure to take property loss against taxes

Thanks goodness no animals in structure, or firemen hurt fighting fire.

Replacing such a large structure w/ comparable materials is going to be costly. Also, what kind of items were stored in barn? Probably had other thousands of dollars worth of tools, and other knickknacks you won't think of until later.

You probably already know this, but make sure that you take a loss on your taxes (up to 1/3rd of your AGI, loss limit per year, until used up).

Take care and bless all.

[csziggy]

16. Good idea!

The most valuable things in the barn were the wood it was made of, a vintage Coke machine, and our caretakers' brand new tractor. They have insurance on the tractor so that is taken care of.

The barn was built with cypress cut out of St Joe Paper Company land in 1979-1980. The wood sells for several dollars a board foot. Ten years ago we sold part of it and got nearly $5 a board foot. I'd been planning to salvage some of the rough cut 2" think boards to make a kitchen table.

There were not many tools in it. We have a metal storage building (called the "tool shed" where most of our tools were stored. I'm not sure what our caretakers had stored there, I'll have to ask.

We won't replace the barn as it was. Maybe we'll put up a smaller building, carport type, to store their replacement tractor and fencing stuff. We'll have to talk it over and I will have to see what my budget can handle. Most of the tool shed is empty. We could clean it out and store the tractor in there.

What I will want to look for that may have survived is my collection of old horse bits - there weren't that many but it would be nice to find them. Fortunately my saddles and other tack that were usable are in the lower barn - one of those was antique when I bought it as a teenager. I should donate it to the Kissimmee Cow Camp since it is an authentic Old Florida Cracker saddle.

Overall we are very lucky. Twenty years ago my horses would have been in that barn. These days they are outside unless it is cold and wet.

[Joe Nation]

13. Yep!

Lightning + Barn = 1 Less Barn

[Cryptoad]

15. "Shit Happens",,,,,,,,,

[femmocrat]

18. So sorry, csziggy.

I'm glad you are OK and no animals were hurt. God bless those firefighters!

[cilla4progress]

21. Relieved no life was lost!

We went through a wildfire in 1994 at the other end of the country...Washington state. I evacuated my horses, dogs, and 18 month old baby, while my husband fought the fire with his volunteer crew. No lives were lost here either, but our home and barn were a complete loss. We were insured. After 2 years in town we were drawn back to our rural property, where we rebuilt with firesafe design. I'm on pins and needles here every summer. Our fire was also started by lightning.

[irisblue]

23. I am so glad you, your family & animals weren't hurt.

[Kali]

28. Yikes!

glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been but yikes! didn't I just read another post by you recently about a tree getting struck? careful out there.

[csziggy]

29. There was a lightning strike somewhere close yesterday afternoon

In between storms I drove around but couldn't see any trees that showed damage, but I am not sure which direction it was.

The thunderclap at 5:30 woke up people all over this area, apparently. The person who called in the fire woke up from it then went out on her porch and saw an orange glow. She thought it was a tree top fire close to her, but she was at least a half mile away. The firemen finally figured out that the fire was not in that subdivision and came down the road to our road and saw it.

There was a LOT of lightning in the area over the last 24 hours. When I was calling people about the fire and setting up things to deal with the follow up they all complained about the lightning and most of them live miles away from here.

[riderinthestorm]

30. Oh no!!! I'm so sorry about this.

Soo relieved no horses were involved but saddened to hear of a barn loss.



This is my biggest fear. My main barn is old - 38 stalls with hay storage in the loft above. I'm a freak about every bale....

I'm on a 5 year plan to sell and get out. I can't wait.

[csziggy]

31. I'm still a little in shock

We built that barn with wood a friend cut. I'd been planning to salvage the 2" rough cut cypress off the fronts of the stalls to make a farm table for the kitchen but I never got the chance.

When the firefighters came to the door to tell me a barn had burned down, my heart almost stopped. I asked if there were any horses in it, and the firefighter realized he scared me badly. He quickly told me it was just the equipment barn.

Be careful with your barn - it doesn't take much. The one that burnt had nothing but supplies and equipment in it. None of the electrical had been turned on in years.

Some days I just want to get rid of the place and move on but I love this property. If we sold it would probably be developed and I hate that idea. It is unique in the habitat and configuration. I hope to leave it as a park for birdwatchers and nature lovers. The county has plenty of sports oriented parks but few that are mostly for quiet enjoyment of the world.

[Ptah]

32. I feel your pain.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1062516

[csziggy]

33. I missed that thread - sorry to read it now and the photos are jarring

I took pictures of the aftermath today but haven't had the energy to get them off the camera.

Good news - the barn cat survived. There is only one cat for the two barns and he spends most of his time at the lower barn where the horses, grain, hay, and mice are. So he was safe.

While I was checking for hot spots this afternoon a pair of swallowtail kites flew over. I had my camera but had packed it away and couldn't get it out in time to take pictures. They hung around a few minutes but mostly on the far side of the trees at the top of the hill.

Also this afternoon, a doe ambled across the yard and a large bunny hung out grazing on the grass. Seeing the wildlife restores my soul.

[Solly Mack]

34. I'm glad no one or no animals were hurt but the loss still sucks.

[Rhiannon12866]

35. I am so, so sorry!

Hope things get back to what passes for normal - power and water - very soon. It truly was an act of nature that you couldn't prepare for which I know probably doesn't help much. But at least the horses are safe which is a huge blessing. I grew up being around horses and they can be skittish, at least yours don't seem to be traumatized, either. Hang in there and let us know how it's going...

[csziggy]

36. They got the power back quickly

Though I did have to hassle them a little. The ticket showed they turned the power off at 6:15 and back on at 8:12 but there was no power going to the meter. I had to drive to the little community where their local office is to get coffee so I stopped by the office and talked to the clerks. By the time I drove home, there was a truck there and the power (and water) was restored.

That led to the next problem - the pipe carrying water into the barn was spraying water all over. The nice power company guy waded through the debris to see if he could shut it off but came back to me to say the shut off valve was melted! So I had to call my plumber for an emergency visit to put a new shut off the pipe - plus he realized the line going to where the sink had been was also leaking, though not as bad. He got both taken care of so the water pressure is now normal.

The plumber is in as much shock as I am. When he first moved to Tallahassee for a plumbing apprentice program he worked for us part time and helped build that barn. The money he made let him finish his apprenticeship and eventually let him start his own business - which is now mostly run by his son. The barn was a part of his personal history as much as it was part of mine.

[Rhiannon12866]

40. Wow! All you needed after this were complications

But it sounds like you were damn efficient and knew exactly what to do, kudos! It's wonderful that you had such competent and willing help, sounds like a great community. Most people wouldn't have handled it as well. But it's still a loss and I'm sorry. At least the animals are safe.

Last night when I left a meeting, lightning was lighting up the sky and I thought of you. It was a torrential downpour on my way home lightning and thunder - and it's still pouring out now. The weather really has been getting worse - all over, I've lost track of how many bad storms we've had lately and we have flooding now, too. And I'm in New York.

[Fla Dem]

37. Really sorry you lost your barn. Happy no critters lost their lives. Stay safe.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

38. I'm glad you and your Mr and animals are okay

Sorry about the loss of the barn but take I would this as prompt to invest in lightning protection for any other structures of consequence on your property, especially your home.

Take care and stay safe.

[Phentex]

39. So sorry to hear this...

I saw your other lightning thread and was gonna ask how long it took the tree to die. We had a huge tree hit last August. It lost all its leaves but did fine this spring. I am worried about insects or disease getting into the part that was stripped of all the bark. It's so close to the house, it'll be very expensive to take down and it provides most of the shade.

Anyway, this thread sounds terrifying! I am glad the animals were not hurt.

[csziggy]

41. The tree took a couple of years to die completely

The side that got hit directly died quickly but the other side of the tree seemed to be okay for a year or two. We didn't wait for it to die completely - limbs were dropping off the dead side into the parking area. The power company had a crew out trimming limbs away from the power lines and one of the caretakers got them to cut the tree down while they were there for a really low price.

I'd wait until you see dead limbs then get the tree taken down. Once the branches die, it's not that long before they start breaking off in storms - and you don't want them falling on your house!