(Le Mars) — Fire officials responded to a controlled fire that quickly got out of control Wednesday afternoon. The alarm came in at about 3:10 p.m. at a farm located at 34619 120th Street, approximately six miles north-northeast of Le Mars. A neighbor commented the fire was set on a brush pile earlier in the morning, but it had spread to an old abandon farm house. Within minutes, the vacant farm house was totally engulfed in flames. Firefighters were trying to stop the spread of the blaze as they sprayed water on other out buildings and farm equipment. The fire had spread to a couple of utility power poles and to surrounding trees. The abandon house was totally destroyed by the fire. At one point in time, four separate fires had started in a grove of trees when the southwest winds had blown embers into the trees. Orange City, Alton, and Maurice fire departments were called for reinforcements and to help shuttle water to the rural residence. North West REC and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.
