Fire destroys milking parlor at Sibley Twp. dairy farm
March 30th, 2007
A billow of smoke could be seen from several miles away Friday evening as area firefighters battled a blaze at Sunrise Dairy which is located approximately seven miles southeast of Gaylord. Above, firemen search for flames in the attic of the milking parlor.
The cause of a milking parlor fire Friday at Sunrise Dairy in Sibley Township is being investigated by the State Fire Marshal. The facility is located about seven miles southeast of Gaylord.
Firefighters from Gaylord, Arlington, Green Isle, and Winthrop, along with the Gaylord Ambulance Service, were called at 5:45 p.m. Friday. According to Gaylord Fire Chief Dean Schons, the milking parlor, which was approximately 60 x 60 in size, was destroyed, but a lot of the equipment inside the building was saved. The loss is estimated to be $700,000 - $800,000.
The fact that there was no wind provided the firefighters with great assistance to save the three dairy barns, Schons commented. There was no loss to the dairy herd, he said.
Firefighters used foam and water to battle the blaze. Area departments were utilized to provide manpower and additional water. Schons said 15,000 gallons of water were used to fight the fire.
The toughest part of fighting this fire, Schons explained, was that there was so much tin in the structure that it was hard to get in the wall to douse the fire. Terry Shaw was contacted to bring his equipment to help tear the building apart, Schons said.
Eighty one firefighters and ambulance members, along with 20 vehicles, were used. There were approximately 250 service hours provided by the firefighters and ambulance crew.
The Gaylord Ambulance was called to standby at the scene in case anyone was injured.
Gaylord firefighters were at the scene until 12:18 a.m. Saturday. Neighboring departments helped for about two hours, Schons said.
Sunrise Dairy is owned by Will Sampson, who serves as manager, and other partners from the Western United States. The partners also own Blue Sky Dairy of Cleveland, which was struck by a tornado in August 2006, and Five Star Dairy in Dryden Township.
