Two barns collapse in Pa.

February 18, 2003|by STACEY DANZUSO

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Heavy snow caused two Franklin County barns to collapse Monday afternoon, killing and injuring several cows, according to emergency officials.

Units from the Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., and Waynesboro, Pa., fire departments responded to 14164 Harbaugh Church Road in Washington Township, where several head of cattle were trapped and injured, said Richie Haywood, captain of the Blue Ridge Summit Fire Department.

"We just lifted the roof and debris off the cattle to get them free," he said.

He said it took about a dozen men an hour to free all of the cattle, and he did not know the extent of the injuries to the cattle Monday afternoon.

Haywood recommended that residents concerned about the threat of a building collapse try to remove some of the snow from the roof.

"If it's a flat roof, the heavy snow puts a lot of weight on it and the trusses can only stand so much weight and then break in half and collapse," he said.

Lt. Greg Fuller with the St. Thomas Township, Pa., Fire Department said heavy snow also caused a barn at 1749 Mercersburg Road to collapse, killing three cows.

Fuller said the snow caused an overhang on the barn to collapse, along with part of the roof, trapping 10 cows inside.

The barn is owned by Greg Mellott, Fuller said.

He said the fire department also fielded calls Monday morning from residents of mobile homes, the flat roofs of which put the structures at risk during heavy snows.

"We were out this morning shoveling off eight or nine trailers," he said.

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