A fire call on Wednesday, April 22, in rural West Concord turned into a six-hour blaze involving ten fire departments. A home owner at 56314 245th Avenue had burned a woodpile the previous evening, and although the flames had been extinguished, the embers were still smoldering on Wednesday morning. High winds are thought to have rekindled the flames and they spread to a nearby structure during the morning.
A fire call came into the Dodge County Sheriff Department at 11:42 am on Wednesday. By the time deputies arrived on the scene the first out building had been destroyed and flames had spread to a barn, hay shed, two silos and a couple other farm buildings. The West Concord and Mantorville Fire Departments were dispatched to the scene as strong winds were igniting a tree line on the north side of the property. The barn was fully engulfed in flames by the time the first fire trucks arrived on scene and shortly after the barn roof collapsed. Black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky driven by the southern wind.
Other local fire departments responded to control the blaze and by the late afternoon crews from Rochester, Kasson, Claremont, Zumbrota, Wanamingo, Dodge Center, Byron and Pine Island had arrived. A steady convoy of water tankers arrived from all directions to supply water to control the blaze. Hundreds of feet of hose were used to provide water to the area affected and eventually the ladder truck from Dodge Center was used to direct suppression from above the fire.
The scene was cleared by 7pm on Wednesday although fire fighters did return later in the evening to extinguish another blaze that rekindled. The house on the property was not damaged and no injuries were reported, save for a fireman who was treated for shortness of breath at the scene. The Dodge County Sheriff Department commented that this was the largest fire response there has been in the county in many years. The State Patrol was also on scene directing traffic. The state fire marshal and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are investigating the cause of the blaze and the affected buildings have been declared a total loss.
The Dodge County Sheriff Department reminds landowners to be mindful of weather conditions and not to burn if there are any doubts about the safety involved. Always be sure fires are completely extinguished and never let a fire burn unattended. With dry conditions and gusty winds, the fire can rekindle and spread rapidly.
