Barn, 15 acres burn in Howard
By ROB MONTANA HORNELL EVENING TRIBUNE

HOWARD - Mi chael Warren spent some time Monday burning trash near his home at 7281 Horton Road in the Town of Howard.

Once he was done, he believed he'd extinguished the fire and went inside. Shortly thereafter Warren looked outside and saw that wasn't the case.

"Apparently when the wind came up it blew an ash into the grass and brush nearby, and caught it on fire," he said this morning.

That spark soon turned into a raging fire that jumped a ditch and road to consume 15 acres of grass and brush as well as Warren's barn, according Howard Fire Chief Rob Patrick this morning.

It could have been worse, but Warren's home was spared.

"There was no impact on his house," Patrick said of the call that came in at 3:30 p.m. "He was burning away from his house, thought he had it out, but didn't."

Warren's only loss was his barn, which he said was in "a state of disrepair."

"Nothing really," he said when asked what he'd lost in the fire.

After calling the Howard Fire Department, Warren said he tried to contain the fire when it got around his telephone and electric poles, but there was no stopping it completely.

"There was no putting it out," he said, "not with one person or one hose."

Assisting Howard at the scene were firefighters from Fremont, North Hornell, Arkport, South Hornell and Avoca. Patrick said Wallace firefighters were on standby for Avoca, while Canaseraga firefighters were on standby for Arkport.