COLUMBUS – A barn fire that destroyed a the main building of a family dairy farm in the Town of Columbus kept firefighters and their auxiliary members from nearly 10 area companies on scene through midnight, Thursday.

At 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, a call came into the Chenango County 911 dispatch center reporting flames an smoke from the milk house of an operational dairy barn located at 109 Balcom Hill Rd., in the town of Columbus.

At about the same time a passerby – reportedly a Morris Fire Department member – noticed smoke coming from the structure, occupants of the property likewise discovered the fire as well.

According to County Fire Coordinator Matthew Beckwith, the point of origin was pinpointed to an area between the first and second levels of the structure near where the milk house adjoins the main portion of the barn.