The Salem Fire Protection District handled ten calls in the aftermath of the Friday morning severe weather, including a barn fire apparently started from a lightning strike.
The fire was on the Robert Burkett farm at 4630 Hoots Chapel Road. Firemen had initially been called about a large tree that had fallen on power lines bringing them down across an unoccupied car. The lines turned out not to be live. However while at the scene, smoke was seen coming from a barn on the property that had apparently been struck by lightning. The fire was confined to one interior wall. Firemen fear the fire would have been much worse if not spotted right away.
Six of the other calls involved trees across power lines, including a transformer on fire on the Route 161 extension. Firemen stood by until Ameren or Tri-County Electric crews could handle the problem.
Firemen helped gain entry to the home of a resident in the Starlight Mobile Home Park who had run out of oxygen due to a power outage. United Medical Response then assisted the residents with the problem.
The department was also called to multiple fire alarms in the Westgate Shopping Area apparently caused by power problems.
The department even helped direct traffic for Salem Police following a Friday morning crash on West Main Street at the I-57 intersection where a semi driven by 60-year-old David Risser of Fargo, North Dakota made a left-hand turn in front of 51-year-old Christopher Melton of Salem and struck his pickup truck. Salem Police say both drivers were checked at the scene by United Medical Response and declined hospital treatment. Risser was ticketed for failure to yield.
Due to the volume of incidents after the severe weather, the Salem Fire Department maintained a crew at the station on Friday to more quickly handle emergency calls.
