UPDATE: Sept. 15 at 11 p.m.
Taylor Newton and her fiancé, Hunter Dean, have been circling September 20 on their calendar for more than a year, planning their dream wedding at the Bluegrass Wedding Barn in Boyle County.
However, when the popular venue burned down on Monday morning, the couple found themselves without a location just days before their scheduled Saturday ceremony.
"It's definitely been an emotional roller coaster today," Newton said.
"It's a surreal feeling now where you're kind of stuck trying to figure out what to do or how to juggle everything," she said.
The fire has left Newton and Dean scrambling to find alternatives with their wedding just days away.
"Stress is twice as much now in comparison to what it was," Newton said.
The venue fire impacts more than just Newton and Dean. Michael Hamilton and his wife were married at the Bluegrass Wedding Barn earlier this summer, and he understands the emotional toll.
"Not only do you not get the venue that you dreamed of and you know the day you dreamed of," Hamilton said.
"That can just throw everything, you know, into dysfunction," he added.
"That's like where the current chapter of our lives started. It's kind of like crazy to think that it's just not there anymore," Hamilton said.
No one was injured in the fire, but Hamilton is thinking about the broader impact on the community.
"Just thinking about her and what she must be going through," he said about the venue owner.
The fire also affects local vendors who relied on the venue as "probably a big source of income," Hamilton noted.
Downtown Danville businesses will also feel the impact from lost wedding parties.
"We probably had 100 people there and we went and ate at Danville restaurants, we went, you know, spent money in Danville," Hamilton said.
Despite the challenges, Newton and Dean express gratitude for the community support they've received.
"We do have, you know, vendors, venues, friends and family that have all reached out who are going above and beyond to try to make us feel comfortable and do anything that they can to ensure that we do get married on Saturday," Newton said.
The owner of the Bluegrass Wedding Barn is working on contingency plans for weddings already scheduled at the venue, while the Boyle County Fire Department continues to investigate the cause of the fire.
Original Story:
Boyle County Fire Department Chief Donald Sexton confirmed to LEX 18 that units responded to a fire at the Bluegrass Wedding Barn in Danville on Monday afternoon.
Sexton detailed that the fire started "apparently near where the electrical service went into the barn." He added that the fire was active for at least 30 minutes before units were called to the scene.
Upon arrival, Sexton noted that the electrical company was already on the scene, however, he added that power was not going into the building.
The fire is currently under investigation, according to Sexton.
The fire comes amid the news that the Boyle County Fire Department issued a "No Burn" ban due to dry conditions.
