By Ryan Carlson
Lyons News – November 22, 2013
Submitted by Newz Group Clipping Service – December 11, 2013
A fire in Geneseo destroyed a barn and damaged two adjacent houses. The owners house sustained minor damage, while the house to the west received significant damage to its shingles. Geneseo Fire Department, Ellsworth Fire Department, Lyons Fire Department, Little River Fire Department and Bushton Fire Department responded to the scene. EMS was on the scene and provided protocol services for firefighters who had prolonged exposure to the fire and smoke. Geneseo Fire Chief, Mike Huggans gave an explanation of what apparently happened. Huggans said, “A man was using a cutting torch to cut metal and when he was finished he waited for 10 minutes and looked around. He decided to go inside and take a nap. His children went outside to play and ran into the house and said, “Dad the barn’s on fire!” He went and looked and then ran inside and called the fire department.” Huggans said the shed had been hit pretty hard but the two houses near it mainly sustained damage to the siding. Midwest Energy was also on the scene fixing an electric pole after it also caught on fire. Mike Morley, Corporate Communications Manager for Midwest Energy said, “Basically, the fire spread to the pole and brought it down. With it came two spans of sire–the wire that spans the distance between two power poles. When the pole went down it ripped a circuit breaker at the substation outside Geneseo. This is a safety measure that cuts the power to the line. The circuit will remain open until it is manually closed. The power cut at approximately 5:00 p.m. and was restored at 8:30.” EMS reported that no injuries occurred during the fire.
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