Five departments battle farm blaze

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

MONTAGUE TWP. — Approximately 30 firefighters from five departments battled a winter storm while fighting a commercial farm fire late Monday afternoon, Nov. 17, just south of the Oceana County line in Muskegon County.

A barn, which appeared to be a maintenance barn, was “totally destroyed,” firefighters at the scene said, as well as an expensive eight-wheel tractor. One homeowner was examined for smoke inhalation, according to firefighters. No farm animals appeared to be injured, they said.

Firefighters from Montague, Blue Lake Township, White Lake Fire Authority, Dalton Township and Oceana County’s Grant Township were called to the scene at 9691 Sikkenga Rd. near Fruitvale Rd. at approximately 4 p.m. Grant Township cleared the scene at approximately 5:40 p.m.

A sign, Sammi’s Fresh Brown Eggs, is located at the front of the property. Firefighters at the scene had not yet determined the cause of the blaze. Winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour and temperatures in the teens made extinguishing the fire much more difficult than in normal conditions. Icy road conditions posed problems for the fire crews to quickly respond to the scene.

Deputies from the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Department had Sikkenga Road blocked off in the vicinity of the fire. Consumer’s Energy and White Lake Ambulance were also on scene.