Overnight fire destroys barn in Northampton County

Firefighters were still responding Saturday afternoon after a barn fire broke out overnight in Northampton County.

The initial reports for the fire occurred at around 12:18 a.m. on Saturday at 20 Arena Drive in Allen Township, according to a Northampton County dispatcher. Emergency responders cleared from the scene at around 6 a.m. with no injuries reported, the dispatcher added.

By around 12:30 p.m., Allen Township firefighters returned to the site of the barn fire to spray hay and dissipate any lingering smoke, according to a Facebook post from the Allen Township Fire Company No. 1.

Responding fire departments included those from Allen Township, East Allen Township, Hanover Township, Lehigh Township, Northampton, North Catasauqua, and Moore Township, the dispatcher said.

Chief Dale Hassler of Allen Township Fire Company No. 1 said it may take up to a couple more days to fully dissipate the smoke, and that he is assisting state police in investigating the fire.

Donovan Smith, who works at the nearby Willow Brook Golf Course, said firefighters had the fire “well under control” after he went to check it out at around 1 a.m., and that there were only smoldering remnants when he went to work later in the morning.

He explained that Willow Brook Farms managed the barn for storing hay and that no animals were near the structure when the fire occurred. Hassler also confirmed that no animals were inside the barn.

Willow Brook Farms couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.