The Paola Fire Department responded to a barn fire southwest of Paola at 315th Street and Bethel Church Road Thursday morning,January 11th, at 2:30, as reported by the Miami County Republic. Firefighters from Osawatomie and Wellsville, along with neighbors, helped fight the fire. According to Paola Deputy Fire Chief, Bruce Hartig, the homeowner’s were able to get a horse out of the barn, but not fourteen alpacas. Although firefighters learned that animals were trapped inside the barn, the roof had collapsed by the time they arrived.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Hartig estimated the damage from the fire to be $75,000, before counting the loss of the alpacas.
