Blaze not considered suspicious
By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
A 30-by-50-foot barn in Hopewell Township was destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning, police said.
The blaze is not considered suspicious in nature, but is still under investigation. The fire was at the Gone Away Farm, owned by Caroline Vander Hyden, 35, at 257 Pennington-Harbourton Road.
Hopewell Township police Lt. Lance Maloney said Ms. Vander Hyden awoke shortly after 4 a.m. and saw her pole barn on fire.
After the alarm was called in, Officer Vincent Amabile arrived and found the barn completely engulfed in flames. The Pennington Fire Company, under the command of Deputy Chief Jim DeForte, responded, assisted by the Union Fire Company, Hopewell Fire Department, and the Lawrence Road Fire Company. Firefighters shuttled water to the scene from a Scotch Road fire hydrant using tanker trucks. The Pennington First Aid Squad along with the Pennington Ladies Auxiliary stood by at the scene.
The barn contained a small office area and some horse equipment. No animals were housed in the barn. The exterior of the barn was constructed of aluminum siding.
The barn was a total loss. Two small storage sheds next to the barn were not damaged.
Township police, the Hopewell Valley Bureau of Fire Safety, the Mercer County Fire Marshal and the Mercer County prosecutor’s office are involved with this investigation.
No estimate of the damage was available.