Fire Official: Propane Burner Caused Fire at Enfield Tobacco Barn

Source from:  By: Jenna N. Carlesso, Journal Inquirer 09/15/2007 09/17/2007

A propane burner used to dry tobacco was the cause of a fire that ripped through a rustic barn on Broadbrook Road on Monday, destroying nearly half of the tobacco crop inside, Hazardville Fire Chief Jack Flanagan said Friday. The barn is one of several structures on the 69 Broadbrook Road tobacco farm owned by former Rep. Stephen Jarmoc, D-Enfield. Jarmoc estimated the fire caused $25,000 to $50,000 worth of damage. The burner was placed in the barn and lit earlier that day to keep the shed dry, Jarmoc said Friday. Once lit, burners typically run continuously for two or three days to eliminate humidity from the air, he said. The fire consumed more than a quarter of the 6,000-square- foot barn, leaving Jarmoc with a barrage of rubble and charred tobacco plant to clean up. Just after 5 p.m. Monday, flames spread off the sides of the burner and caught onto several wooden sticks, known as laths, used to hold the tobacco. The fire then rolled over to the barn's bents, the tall support beams that stretch to the ceiling, turning them to ash, Jarmoc said. The roof collapsed as crews from Enfield's five fire departments, as well as firefighters from Somers and Ellington, battled the blaze. Crews worked for about five hours to put the fire out. No one was in the barn when the fire occurred. A Thompsonville firefighter suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire and was treated and released from the hospital, a fire official has said. "It could've been a lot worse," Jarmoc said. "Anyone I talk to is amazed the barn is still standing." He called firefighters' efforts "quick and responsive," as crews showed up less than five minutes after an employee working across the street noticed the fire. Though it's never happened to one of his barns before, Jarmoc said it is not unusual for fires to break out when using propane burners. "It happens every once in a while," he said. "The only thing you can do in these situations is watch the burner." Jarmoc predicted the barn would take about two or three weeks to repair. He and some of his nearly 100 employees plan to start work on it next week. Enditem