The Old Steiner Mill

The Old Steiner Mill

The above photo is what is left of the old Steiner Mill on the North West end of of our property (sometime during the summer).  Over the years we've managed to salvage some lumber out of it and a few other interesting objects.  We finally decided it was time to clean up what was left of the mess, so the Croghan Fire Department was contacted and they were willing to do a controlled burn.  We planned to do this during the summer, but then a Fire Ban came into effect over all of NY State.

The Fire Ban ended and the controlled burn was scheduled for October 11th at 6:30PM.

Then a UFO landed in our woods....

Actually the Fire Department showed up with all sorts of lights, trucks, ATVs and a crew of people ready for the job of keeping the burn safe.  We had our grill ready and a load of hot-dogs, cupcakes, and soda for everyone to eat once the fire was underway.

The crew of firemen tried and tried to start the very wet wood. And below the audience of friends and neighbors watched with anticipation of the big burn.

 Then just as I was about to throw the hotdogs on the grill, the firemen decided to put out what they started because it just wasn't really getting started.  So they sprayed the smoldering wet wood and packed up.  Our friends stayed around to visit and have some hotdogs and yummies together.  And eventually it was time for story time and bed for our boys and bed.  I went up to change into some cleaner clothes to read stories and looked out our bedroom window only to discover the Mill was burning!  Back downstairs and a few phone calls later, the fire was growing.  The chief and two helpers came over, drained on truck and hooked up to a tanker (I believe around 2,800gal), and tried to put the fire out.  But now the fire was rather determined.  When the crew was here it didn't want to start, now it didn't want to stop.  Eventually I even had my excavator down there pulling out smuldering wood and spreading it out so they could get water on it better, and get water down deeper into the pile.  Below are a few photos of the fire that wasn't suppose to be.

I think it was around 10:30PM when I finally came inside and the firemen went home.  Rosetta and I stayed up late to keep watch (or watch White Collar, after discussing the vise-presidential debate).  We set an alarm to wake us during the night so we could check on the mill.

Morning came and all was good.  Then the kids went to school, Rosetta to work, and I went off to work on an MDS project.  I came home around 2pm and ate my lunch and was about to head out again when I noticed smoke billowing up from the Mill again.

The fire chief and I met back there, and I ran my garden hose there, and brought the excavtor back to the job.  With some more work we had it all soaked and out.

The good part of all of this (other than the excitement), I managed to find a few more things buried in the Mill I didn't even know were in there.  Some wooden wheels, and even the saw for the Mill.  It was buried so deep and so well I wasn't able to get to it until now.  

Well thats the Old Steiner Mill excitement for now....

-Ken