Dry, windy weather may have played a factor in many of the fires stretching from the afternoon into the evening Sunday. Town of Beloit fire fighters say they were called out about 3:30 p.m. for a fire at a rural property in the 3600 block of Afton Road. Officials say a controlled burn fueled by the wind engulfed and destroyed a small shed and larger adjacent structure.
Beloit firefighters were called out a little before 5:00 p.m. for a residential fire. Crews from four different fire departments assisted in battling the blaze at the home in the 600 block of McKinley Avenue, which had flames up to the second floor and roof when first responders arrived. Fire officials described the house as sustained “significant damage” and all of the residents were displaced. At least one other house, three garages, a shed and a fence were also damaged from heat propelled by strong winds.
The Rock County Emergency Dispatch Center also reports the Elkhorn Fire Department asked for help from the Milton and Clinton Fire Departments a little after 5:00 p.m. to fight a large grass fire in the 6700 block of Peck Station Road.
Firefighting crews from Milton and Evansville were also called in to help Dane County first responders with a fire in the Town of Dunkirk. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office says a barn caught fire on County Trunk N just before 6:00 p.m. Sunday. The fire started as a controlled burned that was too close to the barn and also spread to a nearby cornfield. No one was injured in the incident, but the building is considered a total loss with damages estimated at $75-thousand.
