Published: July 22, 2009 04:47 pm      

Buildings, contents destroyed

The East Bernstadt volunteer firefighters responded to a structure fire behind Hazel Green Elementary School about noon Thursday.

A wooden tool house used for working on trucks and an adjacent metal building used to store farm equipment were completely destroyed.

The owner of the buildings at 2254 Highway 1394, Warney Joseph, was logging on Hopper Creek Road off KY 229 with his son, Hank, when the fire started.

“I received a call from my son saying the buildings were smoking and that he had called 911, and that I needed to go home,” Joseph said. “My son had received a call from my grandson, Justin, who was home at the time and lives close to me.”

The building in front, a wooden tool shed, was 38 feet by 36 feet and was used to work on trucks, Joseph said. The metal building behind the shed, which was 38 feet by 96 feet, contained two farm tractors, a hay roller, mulch spreader, welder, 150 rolls of hay and a four-wheeler.

Firefighters had to refill their tankers several times with water from a hydrant at the school.

“I’ve got insurance on the buildings, but it probably won’t cover half the loss,” Joseph noted. “But, no one got hurt and that’s the main thing.”

There was electricity in the buildings, Joseph said.

The Laurel County Fire Department and Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County assisted at the scene.

Staff writer Carol Mills can be reached at cmills@sentinel-echo.com.