A Greene County fire department responded to an early morning fire Tuesday that destroyed a vacant barn.

According to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy and the Churdan Fire Department responded to a call from a passerby at 4:42am in the 1400 block of 160th Street. Churdan Fire Chief John McCormick tells Raccoon Valley Radio a controlled brush burn by the landowner got out of control and spread to a nearby barn that was vacant and was scheduled to be demolished at a later date. 

McCormick says when they arrived on scene, the landowner had taken control of the fire and let the structure burn to the ground. He adds no one was hurt in the incident and there was no other property damage. McCormick reminds rural residents to notify the Greene County Sheriff’s Office whenever there is a controlled burn so that fire departments can be on standby if they are needed to respond.