Farmer loses barn, half his herd of beef cows to blaze

Alan Kultgen was working at Charter Steel in Saukville Friday night when he got the call every farmer dreads — his barn was ablaze.

Kultgen said he raced home to find the roof of his barn had collapsed and firefighters from throughout Ozaukee County, as well as Newburg, Random Lake and Cedar Grove, were fighting the blaze.

He felt helpless, Kultgen said.

“It wasn’t a very good feeling,” he said.

By the time the fire was out, Kultgen had lost half his herd of beef cows — 24 breeding cows — and his barn was destroyed.