Small barn burns in Lehigh Township, but bigger barn saved

May 20--A fire destroyed a small barn in Lehigh Township on Thursday afternoon, but firefighters were able to save a larger barn and a house right next to it.

The barn was reported burning around 4:50 p.m. along the 3700 block of Lehigh Drive, Route 248, just west of Walnut Drive. Within minutes, neighbors said, the fire was knocked down.

"They have it out by now," neighbor Eric Spadt said. "Before the main barn burned, they got it out."

Fire crews had not determined the cause of the fire Thursday evening, but said they were investigating, Lehigh Township fire Chief Richard Hildedrand said.

Lehigh Township, Allen, East Allen, Northampton and Klecknersville fire companies were dispatched to the scene and went to work quickly on the flames. Five tankers were called to the scene and Hildedrand said his crew had under control in about 15 minutes.

Paul Gieske, the barn's owner, said he was in the process of dismantling the roughly 20-by-30-foot barn, which used to function as a workshop, when it caught fire.

A half-hour after the fire, the ruins lay in a singed pile as fire crews kept additional sparks at bay.

The damaged barn and the larger barn in front of it sit on the north side of Lehigh Drive, across the road from the Pritchard drywall company and Gieske's T-shirt printing shop.

Three trees, an industrial debris bin and a blue van also were badly scorched in the blaze.

Gieske, 72, said his wife was in the house when she heard the crackling of fire. She saw the barn in flames when she looked outside, he said.

Gieske said he was thankful the fire crews controlled the flames so quickly.

"I don't think we're going to recoup much in terms of insurance," he said. "But it could have been a really serious fire."

-- Dale Shoemaker

___

(c)2016 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)

Visit The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) at www.mcall.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.