Tragic BARN FIRE in AMISH LAND on THANKSGIVING Morning West Lampeter Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

A huge blaze destroyed a barn and attached buildings on an Amish farm in Lancaster County on Thanksgiving morning 2023. Multiple fire companies responded but the fire engulfed the largest barn in a matter of minutes.
The Rebuild can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2nGmJehqsmnh6c
News link below
www.wgal.com/article/barn-fire-lancaster-county-thanksgiving-day/45928051

[@berniemarkley]

After seeing the aftermath of the fire, it is amazing that the entire barn complex did not go up in flames. Kudos to the firemen who worked to save those buildings!

[@byronholmes2496]

The best to the Farmer and family, may they have smooth recovery, peace.

[@rebeccabowman6577]

Wow, thats sad, but thankfully the animals got out and nobody was injured. Being a firefighter myself a few years back these kind of fires are difficult to fight. Fire companies do their best and do all they can, but it eventually comes down to saving the surrounding buildings and homes. God bless the firefighters and all who were helping this amish farmer. Great job to the firefighters for a job well done with what they had. I am sure being it a holiday and most are volunteers they were short handed all the way around. Praying for the farmer and his family.

[@halspencer6613]

Many years ago we lived in New Holland in Lancaster County. A neighbor's barn was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. Before the remains had cooled the Amish community gathered around and while the wives and daughters cooked meals and served it outdoors on long tables, the husbands and sons rebuilt the farmer a spanking new barn, bigger than the one that was lost to a fire. The Amish communities across America are superb citizens, community-centric and unbelievably helpful and kind.

[@fastsetinthewest]

I'm 80 years old. Raised in a farming community. Many times a fireman is the one starting the fires.

[@bennetts-revenge_2]

​@halspencer6613 but they don't take good care of they horses. Many of them end of going to slaughter when they become useless to them. They use them and throw them away so they're not that great

[@droberts73543]

Very sad thing to have to happen prayers go out to the family and thank God no one was hurt and the animals were saved since that's their main stay

[@ACE324MINER]

Drove past this farm today. They already have new timber in the air. Given how fast they are rebuilding I wouldn't be surprised if its done by the end of next week

[@anthonylentini6278]

god bless the family god bless everyone who helped

[@suzylarry1]

sorry for the loss , hope area farms help looking after the cows daily servicing . Best of luck to you , the farm community

[@348Tobico]

Whatever is in those silo's is going to cook for days. Awful, awful trouble for any farmer. Neighbors will help but as a survivor of a home fire I can say that nightmares will last long after repairs are made. It hurts your psyche to face down a bad fire and survive. Prayers for this family to be eased by the love and support of community.

[@jonathankipps9061]

I doubt the silage will be any concern. If the concrete staves are still structural, the silos should be just fine. It would take a lot of heat to start the silage burning, and then only if the silage face was near the level of the barn fire. If those silos were full, there would be no oxygen to sustain combustion in the areas where the heat was the most intense. I would definitely have the silos inspected carefully before filling them again next year, though.

[@butchs6099]

I wonder if a Biden supporter had a hand at starting it.

[@evanstauffer4470]

@@butchs6099 Please, leave politics out of this tragedy!!!

[@robertgorsett1586]

Been to that area a few times. Beautiful country side and cool mix of Amish and regular farming. Just sad, but the Amish community sticks together and it will be re-built fast. Smart people. Miss me some shoe fly pie.

[@jfarm1986]

Where is this

[@mervjb809]

Shoo fly, not shoe

[@63flight]

Lancaster county PA @@jfarm1986

[@JB-ir3is]

It is sad, but as things happen, the Amish community is strong and soon enough will rebuild and continue life as normal.Very glad everyone was safe, including the livestock.

[@johnleaman9899]

Half a century ago, I was both a full time and volunteer firefighter in Lancaster County, Pa. I vividly remember responding to the ❤️‍🔥🧯🚒 and getting the animals out. Unfortunately much later we learned that the ❤️‍🔥was set by a young volunteer. Sick behavior.

[@farmerbill6855]

Inside of a month, they'll have a new barn there. And they'll build it in a week.

[@jonathankipps9061]

A neighbor of theirs on Agtalk said that the floor is being laid down right now, and he expects the structure to go up on Monday.

[@jamesalles139]

thanks for covering the story

[@ronfreniere8769]

Yeah how sad 😢 But they ( the owners) could be thankful that there were no injuries to humans or animals. Thank you to all firefighters everywhere for protecting the citizens of your coverage area.

[@sassydiana7]

Prayers

[@davidkimmel4216]

God Bless no one was injured 🙏

[@ronaldhoover7146]

That is sad to see. Glad all the animals made it out safely.

[@user-ri1jy3nr7m]

Sorry for your loss

[@cherylradabaugh2720]

Wow ,that's a shame ,glad that the livestock.was saved ,no one hurt .

[@tammygetz756]

I know my way around Lancaster where about is this exacly?

[@jorgopitz4437]

Meine Anteilnahme! Aufrichtig und vom Herzen

[@richardkarpensky1232]

This is so sad almost all their barns burned

[@observationpostcharlie1365]

So sad😢😢😮

[@joesmith7427]

WHERE IS THIS AT??

[@jackiebinns6205]

🙏 how ? So sorry

[@peterblack3665]

Very sad especially on Thanks Giving but.......the Amish will have a new barn built within a week.....

[@BeNiceorBeQuiet]

I’m so sorry beyond words 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮 May Jesus bless them trifold in his name! I’m so thankful that everyone n all of the animals are safe! I know there church community members will help rebuild etc!!!!

[@anthonypirozzi837]

Luckily nobody got hurt and the animals all got out,that's all that matters,barns can be rebuilt.

[@victorianidetch]

Can I ask, where did the animals go as the barn was being built?

[@LancoAmish]

The cows were housed in an empty barn in the neighborhood. They were milked there also.

[@victorianidetch]

@@LancoAmish Thanks, enjoy your videos.

[@norman7179]

Knowing how the Amish work together, the debris will be cleared away and a new barn built in a short time.

[@cindyhooker154]

God bless this family and replace ten folds what has been lost.

[@donjulio4025]

was it arson like a couple years ago

[@doncc6080]

Sad to see an old barn burn up, but the Amish are resilient people and they all will work together to rebuild. Amish barn raising is quite something to see. God bless this family.

[@rebeccabowman6577]

Also being in the country your not always around available water resources. Sometimes they have to have a bunch of tankers come in and do a tanker shuttle. Just cause you near a creek or stream or pond dosnt always mean its safe to use it or it could be so low you cant. Thats why fire companies have drills and training so they can find thouse things out and learn ways to do it. Its not as easy as people may think to fight fires especially these kinds. The firefighters are doing exactly what they are trained to do. Save what you can and let burn what you cant save unfortunately. They arent easy decisions to make. I commend each firefighter and each fire company that was there, for doing the best they could!

[@evanstauffer4470]

I was puzzled by the lack of a tanker task force. Also it looked like they were setting up to draft from the creek, but by the end of the video I didn't see any evidence of that. I'm not criticizing, but wondering why.

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

So sad to see,

[@CuriousEarthMan]

It's sad. Personally, I'd expect to see more water being sprayed than I do see there. I see a large creek, but no pumping, and missing is a normal farm pond for use in regular stock watering and in tragedies such as this. The silos are smoking, which bodes ill for the all-surviving livestock over the winter. But they'll have their community to help where it is possible. Too bad to see! Thoughts and prayers are with them.

[@virgilhilts3924]

"Personally, I'd expect to see more water being sprayed than I do see there" -So clearly you have no clue what you are talking about

[@rolandmillmaniii1423]

as a fire officer, I kind of agree with him. Whats your take since we have no clue @@virgilhilts3924

[@rodger996]

I agree with you but this other fruit cake.

[@loricassata5259]

That was my question why are the firemen just standing around?

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@loricassata5259 At what point do you see them "just standing around"? They have multiple lines in service and are continually adding more including supply lines There are multiple lines running into the interior, working from the exterior, and protecting exposures

[@user-ri1jy3nr7m]

Our home burned 5 weeks ago sadly arson

[@tomprosser8958]

First of all sorry for the loss of the barn. Second I thought that the Amish used buggies not cars.

[@LancoAmish]

They do.

[@robinpinney7237]

😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@darrylhayes9066]

very sad

[@oldfarmshow]

😢😢😢😢

[@frankg5466]

A few wet hay bales causes combustion, or a mouse and electrical wires is common to.

[@jeannemilne3150]

If it is an Amish farm, there won't be electricity. I did think I saw power lines connected to the barn, so maybe it's not an Amish farm.

[@strong40]

They could have used a diesel or gas generator to power the milk pump and cooling compressor. The generator could have caused the fire or any electric motor or light that is powered by one

[@essaboselin5252]

Some Amish in that area do use electricity, especially if they run a business, but it won't go to the house. It's only supposed to be used for work-related activities. They also use propane appliances and equipment. You'll notice the large tanks around the property.

[@whitegrizzleySR]

The title states "Amish land". There are electric fans and electric wires all over the place so it isn't Amish@@jeannemilne3150

[@applecreeksolarllc5064]

There will be off grid power like solar power which if the wire is not in conduit it can be just as bad as power from the grid we had customers that they wanted to wire up there own and we install the main system and they almost or would of burned there shop if it would not of been in a box a loose wire is all it takes we install and do electrical work in a barn the owner does not get a choice if we wire up a barn on a farm it will be in a conduit ir we don’t do it it’s not safe @@jeannemilne3150

[@ctg18158]

Two aerial platforms and only one was briefly used. I'm baffled by the technique used to fight this fire.

[@mtvjackass74]

yup, and you cant say there was a water shortage because saw a pool, a pond and a creek not being used.

[@virgilhilts3924]

Thats because you know nothing about firefighting

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@mtvjackass74 Two Engines drafted from the creek

[@mtvjackass74]

where???? I saw no engine companies drafting at all!!!@@virgilhilts3924

[@john6218att]

they should have set up a draft in that stream right off the bat , my department would have had the second truck set up the water hole

[@mrbill8542]

Saw lots of firetrucks and very little water being applied !!! Why is that ????

[@charoalvarezorrbon1337]

There are NO water pipes in Amish community. They use wells and pumping water.

[@kbittorf335]

There is a creek downwind that could have been used as a water supply source. The volunteer FD I belonged to carried portable pumps for that purpose.

[@mrbill8542]

That may be BUT most of those trucks were pumper trucks which carry thousands of gallons of water each !!!@@charoalvarezorrbon1337

[@virgilhilts3924]

What on earth are you talking about? They had multiple attack & blitz lines working the job right from the start, and were adding more as manpower and resources arrived.

[@user-pz9fs4yi2e]

That orange engine and the yellow engine were sick.

[@haroldenglish943]

Sick? Like Covid? The engines sound sick? I don't have sound that I can hear... what makes the engines sick in your opinion?

[@leerick6510]

Is this the same area that the government tried shutting down earlier.

[@oldfarmshow]

There is a River they can get water from

[@virgilhilts3924]

They were drafting from the creek, it was their primary water supply

[@donaldsell8432]

So many questions concerning the fire fighting, or lack there of, with this event(?) First, the water attack is pretty much non existent ? Second, what the heck was that tower truck doing, opened up yards away from being beneficial ? Etc etc etc! Hopefully this becomes a training video for how not to fight a barn fire!

[@richd9646]

pretty much this is how you would have to fight this fire surround and drown. you wouldn't send people into the structure it would be a death sentence.

[@farmerbill6855]

First off, there's no way you could put that barn out once it's burning like that. Second, it's the country, there's no fire hydrants so they're using tankers and maybe pumping out of that creek down the road. Third, they're doing a remarkable job of keeping fire from spreading to the surrounding barns. That is one HOT fire.

[@dhenschel4]

I noticed the 'hook and ladder' truck upwind of the fire too - I assumed that was the decision makers overlooking the site and deciding what to do. They could have used nozzle up in the basket if ultimately they wanted too, but they didn't need to fight the fire from that direction, downwind was most important and the adjoining buildings. They also needed to keep their distance in the event the silo's feel to them so they wouldn't be crushed.

[@frankdeegan8974]

We will forgive you because you do not have any idea what you are talking about. The main barn is a total loss, the connected structures may be lost too, The water is to cool the fire as much as possible, The hook and ladder is there for support if nothing but an observation post any and all information can be of great value to saving people and property, or for what ever it maybe used for as the fire fight might require. There times the firefighters are just men and at times they are just plain helpless against fire.

[@virgilhilts3924]

Your post is a great example on how to prove that you have no clue what you are talking about 🤣

[@tucobenedicto109]

I thouht with that creek there they would set up a drafting operation, try and supply that engine in front to put water on the fire and cool that lp tank with the deck gun. the other engine and ladder were seperated by another lp tank. Wishing the farmer and cows well sorry to see this!

[@virgilhilts3924]

Clearly you didnt watch the video as that is exactly what they did, set up a draft on the fr side of the bridge.

[@ethanhutchinson5325]

So the engine that was parked in the field had used their whole 500 gallon tank on the fire and knocked down a great amount of the fire but the problem was the nearest creek you had to go through muddy parts of the fields and knowing that it had just rained the day before they weren’t going to take a fire engine down there. Eventually they got a brush truck down there which secured the water supply for the engine in the feild and they resumed operations. Also the barn was a complete loss from the time they arrived on scene as fire was blowing out of every part it was more of protecting the adjacent structures

[@tucobenedicto109]

@@ethanhutchinson5325 I'm cool with that. Thanks for the info. I missed that.

[@raymondg5402]

Anytime you have a fire it's terrible but being a fire officer from a rural fire department, I don't understand why there was so much equipment was there, but not being used. And as someone else said, why weren't you drafting? You can't only use tankers, especially with water so close. Put siphon pumps in the water and let it help. Pray the lord no people or cattle were lost. Pray they can rebuild quickly...

[@virgilhilts3924]

If you had ANY experience as an actual firefighter you would know how foolish your comment is.

[@billupstateny9151]

🙏🐄

[@TheSteamAndGasShowsAndMore]

Ohhh my hope they escaped the farm

[@danzero50]

Why didn’t they fight fire? Some of the fire hoses weren’t even charged.

[@virgilhilts3924]

You apparently need new glasses as they were clearly working the fire for the entire video. Multiple attack & blitz lines were in use from both inside and out, adding more continuously as manpower and capacity arrived. These crews did an excellent job.

[@cwmbc]

Looks like the tower ladder was placed wrongly. It could of been better utilised at the side. Also seems like a lack of water supply. Way too many fire fighters just wandering around. Too few hoses in use. Its like the firefighters had given up before they attempted instead of trying to limit damagge to other buildings downwind.

[@LancoAmish]

To put out that fire would have left a bigger mess to clean up. The large barn and the 2 wings were fully involved when the fire companies got there. They denied the spread to the other attached barns and contained the fire. There’s no saving barns when they’re on fire like this. They could have poured thousands of gallons of water on it and extinguished it to what end?

[@virgilhilts3924]

Looks like you have no idea what you are talking about

[@LancoAmish]

@@virgilhilts3924 , who are you responding to?

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@LancoAmish @cwmbc

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

What a shame, but unfortunately bad things happen to good people all the time. World and contemporary history are evidence of that.

[@leninmi7579]

Wet hay will catch fire 😢

[@karstendoerr5378]

At 6:59 a gas tank can be seen. In my opinion, very little attention is paid to this. If the tank contains flammable liquefied gas, it can quickly become dangerous. The BLEVE (abbreviation for boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion) is a gas explosion of an expanding boiling liquid. BLEVEs may arise from closed tanks containing flammable liquid or flammable liquefied substances or flammable mixtures of substances when exposed to external flames.

[@LancoAmish]

I’m sure they were filled in what was in which tanks. These companies have dealt with many farm and ag fires.

[@karstendoerr5378]

@@LancoAmish I was a volunteer firefighter in Germany for 25 years. I went through a fire that resulted in a BLEVE. Parts of the gas tank flew past me and I just thought that was it. Such a thing is highly dangerous for everyone and everything that is in the circumference of a few 100m around the tank. So also the emergency forces themselves. That is why I do not understand why no measures have been taken.

[@virgilhilts3924]

You have never been a firefighter

[@theonefraga]

Always put Jesus before everything and you will win the fights

[@sstransportexpressllc8223]

Why is the fire department even there if they're not gonna put out the fire

[@farmerbill6855]

They're keeping it from spreading. It's impossible to put that barn out.

[@angelagabathuler9199]

❤❤❤👍👍😉😘😘

[@rd4660]

They'll build another one next week.

[@georgewhite4973]

NEED MORE WATER

[@campingfishingloveeveryday3229]

Was it a amish farm ?

[@jeannemilne3150]

I read that it was, but I thought I saw power lines. So, IDK.

[@calripson]

Rebuilt in 6 days

[@fredsalter1915]

Drone footage was incredible. Fantastic views of God's beautiful land. Sorry about the fire, but at least it didn't consume all of the structures.

[@chrishippensteel8706]

Well if I know the Amish like back in the day that burn is all most back up

[@KM-qx6nh]

There seem to be a lot of comments questioning all the equipment being around, yet a serious lack of firefighting going on. Now I questioned this myself, but seeing that this was an Amish barn/farm fire, I’m suddenly wondering if all the responding fire departments ( with their “worldly” diesel burning pumpers and towers ) were not being shunned and pushed away upon arrival ? They may have been doing little to nothing because they were being asked/told to do nothing….. I dunno.

[@virgilhilts3924]

With all due respect you seriously need to educate yourself on both firefighting as well as the "Amish"

[@KM-qx6nh]

@@virgilhilts3924 well thank you Virg ……. But I did say I didn’t know. As far as the other, I’m in Texas. We have no Amish here, so I needn’t really know. As far as the fire fighting, that too is done quite differently here, and where I am, they most certainly do not fart around about takin care of business. Most response times are less than 4 min and the bulk of most fires here are knocked down within 5 min of arrival. Most time is spent on overhaul actually.

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@KM-qx6nh My statements stands as clearly you have no clue what you are talking about on either subject

[@KM-qx6nh]

@@virgilhilts3924 well think as you wish Virg……. Because quite honestly, I couldn’t give two shits less what you think anyway……

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@KM-qx6nh Yet here you are crying

[@anthonyholloman5736]

BIG FIRE BIG WATER got a ladder truck sitting there not doing nothing put it to work while they other are trying to protect the other structures be knock down the heavy fire in the other they other why's watch it burn smooth bore nozzles are a plus to fires like this again BIG FIRE BIG WATER!!

[@virgilhilts3924]

Thanks for confirming that you know nothing about firefighting 🤣

[@anthonyholloman5736]

@virgilhilts3924 I know more than you think cause I am a Firefighter

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@anthonyholloman5736 Your words *prove* otherwise

[@anthonyholloman5736]

Whatever YOU SAY KNOW IT ALL!!

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@anthonyholloman5736 It's not what I say... It's what you said that *proves* it

[@boataxe4605]

I’m surprised that the Amish allow the fire department to extinguish fires with modern fire trucks. I thought that they still used a bucket brigade.

[@LancoAmish]

I’m surprised how ignorant people are of their fellow Americans. The volunteer fire companies in Lancaster County would be in a sorry position if the Amish didn’t volunteer.

[@boataxe4605]

@@LancoAmish My point was that if you claim to disavow modern technology you should stick to that.

[@virgilhilts3924]

You have literally no clue what you are babbling about

[@margaretporkolab7166]

​@@boataxe4605when comes to fires or accidents everyone helps and no help is refused.

[@virgilhilts3924]

@@LancoAmish Yep Most people watching this didnt even notice that the vast majority of people helping move the blitz line were clearly Amish

[@ms55938]

I'm wondering if the were storing hay in the barn with the animals. Bad practice. If hay is damp when baled, it can smolder inside for weeks and then start burning. Many a barn and stable have burned because of damp hay. I can't see any Amish farmer smoking inside his barn.

[@virgilhilts3924]

A barn is literally where the feed is stored... That is it's purpose.

[@margaretporkolab7166]

Storing hay in the barn is no brainer. It's the people that don't know what they're doing. The Amish is well-known for putting hay in the barn dry. I put 3000 bales of hay in our barn for years. Any hay that felt damp was thrown off to the side and cut open. This hay was used fed immediately. There a step to be taken when hay goes in the barn. If you cheat steps then you have problems.

[@dennisbelles9236]

I don't understand this. There are at least 5 trucks on scene, all hoses are stretched out. Yet I only saw one hose being used? And that was keeping an exposure cool. Aren't firemen suppose to put out, or at least attempt to put out fires?

[@virgilhilts3924]

You apparently need glasses as there were multiple lines being used including both attack and blitz, inside as well as out.

[@mrbakerskatz]

The firefighters ? What firefighters ? Observers maybe . Why not put water on anything they wish to save ?

[@dougfalstad5227]

These are volunteer firefighters. There are no hydrants so all the water they use they have to haul in on their engines and tenders. A fire like this would take thousands of gallons of water to extinguish, which they don’t have. Their best hope is to save the surrounding structures.

[@essaboselin5252]

You can't put out a fire that is that involved. All you can do is try to stop it from spreading to other buildings.

[@oldfarmshow]

There is a River to get water from

[@farmerbill6855]

If you look closely, there are hoses running across the road and into the Cattle shed to the right, they're fighting the fire in that shed so it doesn't get past it. And they're spraying water on the unconnected building to the left to keep it from catching fire. They're doing exactly what they should be doing.

[@oldfarmshow]

I was looking for all the live stock

[@devinschwartz3705]

So sad. Do the firefighters know you’re supposed to put water on the fire? I see a lot of them standing around and no water flowing.

[@LancoAmish]

I’m pretty sure they knew what they were doing. Do you have any first hand knowledge what might have been stored in the big barn?

[@Adam_Poirier]

Lots of comment firefighters in here.... lol

[@merlemartin7]

That is not an Amish farm.

[@LancoAmish]

It is Amish as well as the ag business next door. Why would you say it’s not Amish?

[@wilgerdes3240]

...Gee, to bad they had to go all the way into town & find a Phone booth to call the FD! Are battery powered Electronic smoke detectors too "modern" for them?! Living IN the 21st century Does have its bennifits ppl

[@hounddog946]

The Amish know how to build a barn. Not like the methheads that work construction outside of the Amish Community. They’ll rebuild as a community will come together to help. God Bless them.-