MISSOULA – A barn burned to the ground on Sunday afternoon west of Missoula following a controlled burn.
The Missoula Rural Fire District (MRFD) was called to the 3700 block of Last Best Place shortly before 2:30 p.m. for a reported structure fire.
A large column of smoke was visible while responding units were still several miles from the scene, according to a news release.
MRFD Battalion Chief Ron Lubke says crews arrived to find a 30’ x 40’ barn on fire as well as a grass fire.
Lubke says the barn began to collapse just after firefighters arrived on the scene and firefighters made a defensive attack on the structure.
Most of the fire was knocked down 20 minutes after the arrival of the first engine and the fire was extinguished within one hour.
The cause of the fire was determined to be a burn conducted on a pasture that spread to the barn and ignited it.
Lubke says the property owner had been burning off the pasture near the barn and was attending to an area of the fire where it was spreading toward neighboring property.
The owner stopped the burn from spreading, but when he turned around the fire had reached the barn and already ignited it.
The barn and its contents are a total loss with damages estimated to be between $15,000 and $20,000.
No injuries were reported.
MRFD is reminding people to use extreme caution when conducting a controlled burn.
