Fire crews from multiple towns battled a massive barn fire in Orchard Park Thursday night.
The fire broke out at the intersection of Quaker and Transit roads around 7 p.m. No other details were made available immediately.
@WGRZ @news4buffalo @WKBW pic.twitter.com/FjTUkEIXfT
— Brett ONeill (@NizFactor10) April 27, 2017
According to Orchard Park Town Supervisor Patrick Keem, the barn has been in the middle of a dispute recently.
The barn was scheduled to be demolished because it was considered a hazard. The owner, William Smith, had refused to fix it.
Keem says a public meeting had been scheduled for June 7 to hear from Smith on why he had not yet demolished the barn.
"I heard at an event that I was attending tonight that it got hit by lighting. Of course the main concern is, we hope, no one got injured, but we heard the barn got hit by lightning and it's burning," said Keem. "It looks like mother nature did our job for us."
Keem does not believe animals were being housed in the barn.
According to Keem, Smith had previously threatened that he will shoot anyone who steps onto his property.
"It's a blessing probably that the lightning hit it and we don't have to deal with that dangerous situation anymore," said Keem.
