Fire at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds

Strong winds proved to be a nemesis to firefighters attempting to extinguish a blaze at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds Saturday, according to Centreville Fire Chief Dave Miracle.

One merchant barn, Building 42, was destroyed and two additional suffered exterior damage, he said.

Central dispatch alerted Centreville Fire at 4:11 p.m. Miracle said he noticed flames on the roof and thick, black smoke as he arrived on scene.

Miracle said there was considerable loss in the form of nearly two dozen boats, which were in the 9,600-square-foot building for winter storage.

Miracle said he planned to return to the scene Sunday to conduct an investigation into the cause. He said he had a few theories but would wait to confirm before publicly stating the source of the fire.

Crews from seven county agencies were on scene for about four hours.

Fair official Mindy Timm said the fairgrounds will be closed to the public at least through the early part of the week. Timm said the fate of Thursday’s twice-a-year collection of household hazardous waste and electronics recycling is unknown. Same goes for the St. Joseph County Conservation District’s distribution of spring tree seedlings distribution, which is scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

She suggested checking the fair’s website for an update.