Barn fire caused by lightning

The fire which destroyed a barn on the Zugerberg on Saturday evening was caused by lightning.

As previously mentioned, no-one was hurt in the blaze but a number of items such as a 40-year-old tractor and an old sledge have also been lost to the flames in the barn which was only renovated one year ago.

Speaking to a journalist earlier this week, Beatrice Limacher, a member of the owning family, mentioned how she had still not quite been able to come to terms with what has happened. “I heard this loud bang and went out to see if any damage had been caused to the farm or restaurant but did not notice anything,” she said. Then, half an hour later, she heard from the girlfriend of her brother that something was on fire in the Blasenberg area. “When I looked out again I saw this column of black smoke rising from among the trees. At first, I hoped it was just a tree; I could not believe it when I saw the barn on fire.”

Prior to it having been renovated, a huge sort-out of all the stuff stored in the barn for decades had been undertaken, much being thrown away in skips. However, some very special items, such as the afore-mentioned 40-year-old tractor, which still worked, and which was used by her grandfather for mowing, and an old horn-style sledge, were lost. Furthermore, four cherry trees near the barn have been badly damaged. Another problem is that strips of aluminium installed on the roof to ensure it was waterproof during renovation are now scattered, some in small pieces, all over the surrounding fields. “We have already collected quite a lot of it but it could be very dangerous for the animals if they were to eat any,”she explained.

What remains of the barn is to be demolished as it is at risk of collapse. What Ms Limacher and her parents are determined to do now is build another barn as soon as possible.