Large barn blaze in Glenwood brings in firefighters from three counties

A large blaze in a straw-filled barn brought firefighters from three counties to Glenwood, where for hours they worked to contain the flames.

Fire crews were called at about 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, to the 2500 block of McKendree Road, where they found a heavy fire in a 75 by 50 foot barn filled with more than 1,000 straw bales and with a flatbed truck inside, according to Jackie Cutler, spokeswoman for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue.

There were no animals or workers in the barn, though other buildings were near the fire, she said.

Howard County firefighters were joined by crews from Montgomery and Carroll counties, and more resources were brought in to ensure that they had enough water.

Four fire trucks, each with tanks that carry more than 3,000 gallons of water, shuttled back and forth between a nearby school that has a cistern and a stream. The trucks would then dump the water in portable tanks set up near the fire, Cutler said.

Firefighters worked from outside of the barn, both from ladders and the ground, out of concern about the fire's intensity and the danger of the barn collapsing. The fire was brought under control shortly after 11 p.m., Cutler said.

There were no injuries reported.