'Controlled burn' listed as cause of barn fire in town of Albion
Apr. 18—TOWN OF ALBION — A controlled burn that got out of control led to the loss of a barn in southern Dane County on Sunday, the Dane County Sheriff's Office reported.
Fire departments from Edgerton, Fort Atkinson, Cottage Grove, Janesville and Milton responded to the fire, which was reported around 10:30 a.m., according to a Dane County Sheriff's Office news release.
Edgerton firefighters were on scene for about two hours, and no one was injured, said Jason Russ, deputy chief of operations for the Edgerton department.
Russ said residents were burning brush about 10 feet from a wooden barn at 677 Hillside Road and had left to gather more brush. When they returned, the barn was on fire.
The barn caught fire when winds shifted, according to the release.
Deputies arriving found the barn engulfed in flames, and it was deemed a total loss, according the release.
Fifteen tender trucks sprayed 45,000 gallons of water on the fire, Russ said.
Russ cautioned people never to leave fires unattended.
"We caution everybody that conducting controlled burns is OK, but just make sure you're using safety measures and being cautious of the wind," Russ said.
The Department of Natural Resources warned Sunday of high fire danger across the southern third of the state.
The National Weather Service said Sunday afternoon that with humidity dropping and winds picking up, fires could spread more easily.
The barn contained only some lawn maintenance equipment, cabinets and desks, Russ said. The loss was estimated at $75,000.
