Fire departments battle blaze west of Ann Arbor

The barn, which was family owned for more than 150 years, is located at Scio Church Road near Parker. Owner Robin Welshans told AnnArbor.com at the scene that the barn was filled with livestock. It was not immediately clear what type of animals or how many were in the barn.

The fire was reported around 11 a.m. Chelsea, Dexter, Scio and Manchester fire departments remained on scene at 12:20 p.m., and firefighters were waiting for the smoke to clear to assess the damage.

There are six out buildings located on the property and at least two of them were damaged, Chief James Payeur of the Chelsea fire department said. A family of five lived in the home, which was scorched in the back, close to the barn.

"Thank God we were at home and not work, because we would most definitely have been in there," Welshans said.

The barn recently had electrical upgrades. There was no indication of the cause of the fire. Despite initial reports, no hay was stored in the barn. Firefighters said at least one propane tank exploded during the fire, likely in the back of the barn, where a number of tanks were stored.

Scio Church is closed between Parker and just before Steinbach.

No one was injured in the blaze.

This story will be updated as more information is available.

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