Heater used to thaw pipes sparks fire that destroys barn near Hutchinson

A propane-powered space heater used to thaw a frozen water pipe was blamed for a fire Wednesday night that destroyed a large storage building at a home east of Hutchinson.

A downed powerline and some trees that caught fire, initially preventing direct access to the area, hampered crews in responding to the fire, said Reno/Harvey County Joint Fire District 2 Chief Royce Regier.

The 8 pm fire at 3310 N. Kent Road was extinguished under an hour, though crews remained on the scene until nearly midnight, Regier said.

“I don’t know how close it (the heater) was to the barn, but it caught it on fire and burned it to the ground,” Regier said. “I’d guess it was about a 20-by-30 or 20-by-40 foot barn. It was decent sized, and there was a lot of stuff in there.”

Five units from District 2, an Engine from Fire District 9, and Tender units from Hutchinson and District 9 responded to the blaze.

Besides the trees and the live powerline, which apparently fell after the pole it was attached to burned, firefighters had to contend with temperatures of about 15 degrees and minus-3 wind chills.

Eddie L. and Frances M. Heim own the property, county records show.

No one was hurt, and the fire was contained to the area immediately around the outbuilding, Regier said.

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