ROMULUS -- A Seneca County barn has been declared a total loss after a fire this weekend, and police indicate the improper use of a lighter may be the cause.
According to the Seneca County Sheriff's Office, around 5:35 p.m. Saturday deputies were called to 2107 Bromka Road in Romulus for a report of a barn fire. When police arrived, they say they saw flames shooting out of the roof. Romulus fire personnel, with help from firefighters from Ovid, Lodi, Fayette, and Interlaken, fought the fire for more than three hours until it was finally extinguished.
The barn has been deemed a total loss. The barn's owner, 42-year-old Samuel Kanagy, says the barn was estimated to be worth $50,000, and was insured.
Police say the fire was determined to have been caused by the misuse of a lighter by one of Kanagy's children.
Due to the sheer number of people required to fight the fire, deputies say the sheriff authorized the use of inmates from the Seneca County Correctional Facility to assist with rolling hoses and fire cleanup efforts.
