FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: LIGHTNING STRIKE CAUSES ROARING FIRE NEAR BIG SPRINGS

(05/29/2026)

Grantsville firemen make initial attack, saving a connected barn and nearby homestead house Grantsville, Smithville and Arnoldsburg VFDs respond to roaring fire July, 2012 A lightning strike caused a raging fire at the Hobart and Alta Richards farm near Big Springs Sunday night. The strike ignited a fire in a large garage-shed, with firemen managing to contain the blaze and keep it from spreading to a large barn which was connected to the burning structures by a shed, and the old Richard's homestead. The fire was back on a mountain along Druther Lane off Back Fork Road, not far from State Rt. 16. The Richards' were away, but family members sitting on a porch of the Richard's house nearby said the strike nearly knocked them out of their chairs. The Grantsville VFD arrived on scene after enduring a downpour connected to the storm, but after an initial attack briefly ran of water Firemen worry about fire spreading through connecting shed to a barn as water supply was exhausted for a short time Smithville firemen connect their tanker as fire burns giant cedar trees The Smithville and Arnoldsburg VFDs dispatched tankers to the scene, and the Grantsville department started shuttling a tanker to hydrants. Calhoun EMS also responded to the scene. Richards lost tools, equipment, antique tools and a camper in the fire.

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