Fires Reported in New Jersey, Kentucky, Michigan and North Carolina

Firefighters responded to a house fire on Merkling Street in Swedesboro, New Jersey, Friday afternoon, finding heavy flames and extensive damage; no injuries were reported, and the cause is under investigation. In Lexington, Kentucky, crews from Lexington and Woodford County battled an advanced fire at a large barn on Old Frankfort Pike, using water shuttles and defensive tactics to protect nearby areas; all horses were out, though further details were unavailable. A Wednesday barn fire in Chester Township, Michigan, spread to a second barn, but seven horses escaped and no injuries were reported; multiple departments used about 45,000 gallons of water to extinguish it. In Lenoir County, North Carolina, several volunteer departments helped contain a barn fire; no injuries were reported, and the cause was not disclosed.