Hillsboro Elevator - FIRE - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Hillsboro – A spark from salvagers’ equipment apparently ignited a fire that destroyed the Hillsboro grain elevator Friday morning. The 100-foot high structure was fully engulfed in flames before firefighters could get to the scene 5 miles east of Veedersburg in Fountain County. The fire was reported at 10:45. “We started to tear it down some time ago,” said Kip White, president of Western Grain Co of Covington.  “We tried to get rid of the building and salvage what we could, but we didn’t plan to get rid of it this way.”  White said local people had been contracted to salvage reusable materials from the building at the time fire was discovered. Firefighters from Mellott, Covington, Veedersburg, Kingman, Wallace and Waynetown assisted Hillsboro firefighters.  Most efforts were spent in keeping the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. “This elevator has been empty for 8-to-10 years,” said Hillsboro fire chief, Jim Hershberger. “So our plan all along was just to contain it, let it burn out and protect downwind exposures. And as far as that is concerned, everything went as we had planned.”  The elevator was rebuilt in 1913 after a fire leveled the original structure in 1910.  - kbz

THANKS SO MUCH TO JEFF BOSSAER for the photos - fire was 2-17-1994