MINERAL CITY – A lightning strike destroyed a shed filled with hay and straw during a thunderstorm on Thursday. 

Connie Boyd, a Fairfield Township Firefighter, said the fire department received the call about 4 p.m. to the Todd and Jennifer Brown farm located at 5343 Johnstown Rd. N.E. Mineral City. 

Firefighters were hindered arriving at the scene by a tree that fell on Riddle Hill Road. Jonathon Boyd cleared the tree from the road so the firefighters could get to the scene.

Widespread outages:Cleanup continues in Tuscarawas Valley after Tuesday storm

'Pretty heavy damage':Gnadenhutten area hard hit by late night storms

“The lane to the farm is long so we had to shuttle water. The shed was down when we arrived. The shed was located next to the barn. Some of the firefighters were unable to get to the station because of the fallen tree and had to go around,” Connie Boyd said. 

Jennifer Brown, is a Fairfield volunteer firefighter and she heard the strike and saw the smoke. She tried to get to the station to get her gear, but was unsuccessful. 

"My wife and I were sitting on the porch, watching the storm roll through and we heard a clap of thunder," said Todd Brown. "Next thing you know my wife looked over towards the barn and saw clouds of blue smoke rolling through and said that don't look right."

The family was thankful it was a shed and not the large barn with livestock.

“Jeff Finley and his son, Jason, brought in a track hoe to help clear the building and hay. The firefighters tore the hay apart and doused it so the fire was sure to be out. We were on scene until 9:15 p.m. and got back to the station about 11 p.m.,” Boyd said.

She did not have a damage estimate. Three fire departments responded Fairfield, Mineral City and Sherrodsville.