A lightning strike is the suspected cause of a fire Tuesday morning that destroyed a barn with a vacant, upper-level apartment on Gateway Drive south of Joplin.
The Redings Mill and Joplin fire departments responded to a 6:15 a.m. report of a fire at 4032 Gateway Drive.
Chief Andy Nimmo of the Redings Mill Fire Department said the two-story barn was in flames that were threatening to spread to a nearby business, Shoal Creek Interiors, and two other barns when firefighters arrived. He said firefighters extinguished the blaze before it spread, but the barn containing the apartment was destroyed.
No one was in the barn at the time, and no injuries were reported, Nimmo said. He said lightning appeared to be the probable cause of the fire.
