LCO Tribe Moving Forward After Devastating Barn Fire

Nearly 100 Chicks Killed In Iconic Structure

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A fire at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College farm Saturday left an old barn in charred remains.

While no human injuries were reported, the entire community is feeling the effects of this loss.

Losing something you love is never easy.

“You couldn’t replace it, there’s no way,” said Amber Marlow, extension director at LCO.

“I used some words I shouldn’t have used in front of my kids,” admitted Todd Brier, LCO Farm Manager.

For Brier, it was the barn he brought to life.

“It was a landmark for a lot of people,” he said. “Eight years of my life has been put into this farm.”

As manager at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Community College farm, Brier watched as his barn burned to the ground Saturday morning.

“A lot of the community members either grew up here and played in that barn, or their father helped build that barn,” Brier explained.

The fire killed nearly 100 chicks.

“For them it must have been terrible because they couldn’t go anywhere, they’re trapped in their brooder,” said Brier.

And left nothing but rubble.

“We have to start over,” said Marlow, “It’s kind of like you lose a piece of yourself.”

Built in the 1920s, the barn stood as an icon for the Lac Courte Oreilles tribe.

“We could never, ever replicate it,” said Marlow.

I was also a vital part of the entire community.

“We have over 30 families that are participating in a program where they utilize the land and resources at the farm to grow their own food for their family,” explained Marlow.

But as in any tragedy, the days after are about continuing on.

“Anytime you have that loss, you have that new beginning,” said Marlow.

Step one in moving forward was finding a way to keep all the surviving birds happy and healthy, so they built a pen to do just that.

Then, worry about fulfilling the immediate needs of the animals.

“Those are to get water up and running to the farm as soon as possible, along with some electricity,” said Marlow.

“And then we go back, get some more chicks, start to raise those ones, replace the ones that died,” Brier added.

The farm staff knows what has to be done.

“It’s a time of reflecting on that, but then looking at how we move forward, how we rebuild,” Marlow said.

Moving forward is easier said than done.

“It was such a unique–looking barn, and it was a centerpiece. Now you look at where it was, and it’s this big empty space, you just know there’s something wrong,” Brier said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Donations can be made to the Chippewa Valley Bank in Hayward.