Canton Fire Battles Barn Blaze

At approximately 19:47 hours Canton Fire Department was dispatched to a Barn Fire at 97 Barnes Road in Canton. With the SLC District 1 Chiefs meeting at Pierrepont Fire just wrapping up Chiefs Dalton, McGregor and McCluskey were immediately en route from there. A heavy column of smoke was visible from across town and the chiefs activated the Tanker Task Force and requested addtional manpower from multiple mutual aid agencies knowing that this was going to be a multiple alarm fire. Arriving on the scene, the chiefs encountered a well involved barn with portions of the building already beginning to collapse. Within a few minutes Canton Engine 6, Engine 8, Tanker 20, and Rescue 1 were enroute. Multiple water supply sites were set up around Canton utilizing fire hydrants to be able to supply water for tanker shuttles. An extensive water supply operation ensued as Engines 6 and 8 were operating multiple handlines and ground monitors to fight the large amount of fire. As mutual aid departments from Morley Fire, Pierrepont Fire, Russell Fire, Pyrites Fire, West Potsdam Fire, and Potsdam Fire began to arrive, the mutual aid firefighters went to work pulling the 3500 hay bales and roofing tin apart to gain access to the deep seated fire as well as operate numerous handlines in the effort to extinguish the blaze. Potsdam Fire was moved up to fill-in at Canton Station and was subsequently moved up to the scene. Rennselear Falls Fire was then moved into Canton Station to cover any additional calls in the Town and Village of Canton and responded to a reported trash can fire at 37 Riverside Drive. It was a very long night for all firefighters operating on the scene as a lot of hands were needed to complete the extinguishment of the fire. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported during the intense blaze. Cause of the fire is lableled as suspicious by St Lawrence County Fire Investigators. All units from Canton Fire were finally back in service at approximately 03:54 hours the next day.

Due to a very good effort of all Firefighters on scene, CFD only had to return once for a minor rekindle, and CFD would like to extend a great deal of thanks for all mutual aid departments that had responded to the fire.