Lakeville fire destroys hay barn, vehicles

A barn full of hay burned to the ground early Saturday morning at a dairy near Lakeville and continued to smolder into the afternoon, though no injuries were reported.

The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, and firefighters arrived at the Sleepy Hollow Dairy to find a barn and vehicles inside fully engulfed, officials said. A REDCOM dispatch supervisor said firefighters decided to play defense and contain the blaze after seeing the extent and size of the blaze.

The Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department remained on scene after the sun came up to monitor the leveled structure. Small flames could be seen from nearby, and smoke from the fire was visible for miles around.

Lakeville Fire Chief Nick Silva said the hay would be allowed to burn off for several hours Saturday before firefighters worked to extinguish the smoldering remnants.

No injuries were reported, he said, though the loss of the barn and the hay would be “devastating” for any rancher.

The cause of the fire was not immediately apparent, Silva said.

You can reach Staff Writer Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or will.schmitt@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @wsreports.