BROOKINGS COUNTY — A pair of fires — one in the morning, the other in the evening — kept Brookings-area firefighters busy on May 12, while a May 16 vehicle fire caused $30,000 damage.
Barn damaged
The first blaze involved a barn near a residence on 44th Street South near Medary Avenue and was reported at 6:49 a.m. Flames were visible within the structure, but the residents and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish them.
The blaze damaged a small portion of the barn, according to information in a May 15 news release from the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office.
“(The) damage amount is still being estimated and the cause of the fire is still being investigated by the (sheriff’s office),” Patrol Sgt. Manny Langstraat wrote in the release. “No animals were injured during this fire.”
Fireworks suspected
The second fire, reported at 10:18 p.m. near the intersection of 219th Street and 470th Avenue southwest of Brookings, might have involved fireworks, according to the release.
“The fire was quickly contained to a ditch. When the fire was extinguished, evidence of recently discharged fireworks was located,” Langstraat wrote. “Deputies were able to identify a suspect and charges are pending.”
When reached by The Brookings Register on May 15, he said that names are being withheld until charges are finalized, adding that the sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the incident.
Both blazes were doused with help from the Brookings Fire Department.
Vehicle fire
It’s suspected that an electrical issue in the engine compartment of a truck sparked a blaze that ultimately caused $30,000 in damage at 19616 U.S. Highway 81, near Lake Poinsett, on May 16, according to a May 17 news release from the sheriff’s office.
“On arrival, deputies found a 2011 Ford F-350 fully engulfed in flames, with the fire spreading into the nearby grass,” Assistant Sheriff Dave Biteler wrote. “The owner of the truck, Jim Finnegan of Arlington, stated he had just parked the vehicle after returning from delivering seed to the field to begin planting. After setting up equipment, he noticed the truck was on fire and that the flames were spreading into the surrounding grass.”
Biteler wrote that roughly half an acre of grass was also burned because of the fire, which was quickly doused by the Lake Norden Fire Department.
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
Leave a Reply