Stay Informed

Arson has destroyed at least 12 barns in a cluster of northern Indiana counties, but local farmers are banding together to do something about it.

Four county Farm Bureaus – Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph – have created a $10,000 reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the string of barn fires.

“We hope a reward will help catch the arsonist sooner,” said Lynn Loucks, Elkhart County Farm Bureau president. “The county Farm Bureaus want to protect the farming community and prevent any more barns from being targeted.

“We had to do something,” he added. “That’s what Farm Bureau does: protect agriculture in the county, in Indiana and in America.”

The fires started in April, and the property owners have not only lost their barns, but also equipment, hay and livestock.

The arsonist “usually burns two a night,” Loucks said.

Aaron Bobeck, who farms with his father and uncle just north of Lake Wawasee, said he’d heard about the fires, but up until Oct. 1, they’d all been located at least 5-10 miles west of the Bobecks’ farm.

But at 9 or 9:30 that night, a relative and a neighbor reported a fire at a remote barn where the Bobecks stored equipment such as gravity wagons and trailers.

“The fire department got there pretty quick, but it was a total loss,” Bobeck said.

While the Bobecks’ property was insured, the family has decided not to rebuild, at least not right away.

The barn “was all by itself – not a location where you’d choose to rebuild,” he explained.

He encouraged anyone with information to get in touch with the sheriff’s office as soon as possible.

“I’d really encourage people if they have unattended barns to invest in a camera so they can see what is going on,” he added.

Loucks said the reward program was approved by the Elkhart County Farm Bureau board in an emergency meeting. At the suggestion of their regional manager, Marissa Mikel, they also decided to reach out to the Farm Bureaus in surrounding counties.

“It’s a group effort,” he said, adding that they also have talked to the sheriff.

The reward is limited to information that leads to a conviction of criminal arson committed on land zoned for ag/farm structures in Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph counties. It will remain available until the parties responsible are found. The complete program rules and details are available from the Elkhart County Farm Bureau office.

Anyone with information about the fires should contact Detective Bob Smith at 574-891-2352 or email the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office at ECSDTipLine@elkhartcountysherriff.com.