Crews in Hanover, Massachusetts, responded early Tuesday morning to a fire, which left a barn a total loss.
A passerby called 911 reporting the fire on Whiting Street just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, according to Hanover Fire Chief Jason Cavallaro. When police arrived on scene, they found a barn that had been converted to a residence fully involved with flames.
Someone was sleeping inside, and police were able to get them out safely. The resident was evaluated by emergency medical technicians and did not require additional treatment.
"Officers were able to gain access to the interior residential portion of the barn, which was fully charged with smoke, and provided the opportunity for the occupant to follow their voices to safety," the Hanover Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
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Fire crews were able to contain the flames to the barn, leaving the home next to it unscathed.
"The quick work by first arriving crews and the efforts of mutual aid crews prevented fire spread to the remainder of the large barn structure and adjacent main house," the Hanover Fire Department said.
One firefighter was injured fighting the fire and was treated at the scene.
The barn, though, was said to be a total loss. Along with it, 50 years of Jim Henderson's artwork.
"It’s just sad to see somebody’s life work go up in smoke like this," Henderson's neighbor Bill George said.
Some bronze statues were still standing, but many of his wooden carvings are scorched.
"My wife just passed away this last August and she used to say 'what are you going to do with all this stuff?' What am I going to do, what is she going to do with all this stuff when I die," Henderson said. "But that’s the same problem every artist has."
Some of his most recent work, in her memory, is safe, on display at a show in Duxbury.
Engines from about 10 neighboring towns provided assistance at the fire scene. Firefighters cleared the scene around 6:30 a.m.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Initial damage estimates are approximately $600,000.
