Accidental Fire Destroys Chicken Barn in rural LeMars
On Sunday Night May 31, 2026, at 11:34pm the Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department was called to a barn fire at 26132 Marble Ave. in rural Le Mars. The barn is owned by Andy Britt. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy fire coming from the front of the building and roof of the chicken barn. Firefighters attacked the fire with one hose line through the front west door, and a second hose line was used on the roof. Firefighters made entry in the front west side of the building after slowing the fire and were able to control the fire. Extensive overhaul and ventilation had to be accomplished to completely extinguish the blaze. The fire started on the main floor of the barn and spread through the attic space above a double-layer tin ceiling and insulation. The owner was home at the time of the fire and noticed the fire coming from the barn and called 911. Buildings on both sides of the fire building were saved and not damaged by the fire. Firefighters were on scene for over three hours putting out the fire, ventilating and investigating. The barn is unusable at this time due to the damage. The Orange City Fire Department was called to Le Mars to stand by in case of another fire call. Le Mars had four trucks and 15 personnel at the scene.
The origin of this fire was determined to be located in the west side of the chicken barn on the main floor and spread into the attic. The fire moved across the attic to the back of the building. The cause of the fire was determined to be ACCIDENTAL. The most probable cause of the fire was an electrical equipment malfunction with a heat lamp that was in use on some baby chickens. The contents, including the chickens, were lost in the fire. Damage to the structure and contents is estimated at over $100,000.00.
The Fire-Rescue Department reminds everyone to be especially careful when using alternate heating sources.
The Le Mars Fire-Rescue Department would like to thank the Orange City Fire Department, and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office who assisted at the fire scene
Primary election day is tomorrow
Primary elections for local, state, and national offices representing Iowa will be held tomorrow, June 2nd, with polls open in Plymouth County between 7am and 8pm.
One local race will consist of more than one candidate: in District 4 of the Board of Supervisors, Republican incumbent Craig Anderson is facing a primary challenge from candidate Randy Kroksh. Profiles of the two candidates are available on our website at klem1410.com.
For statewide offices, five Republicans are running for their party’s nomination for governor: current U.S. representative Randy Feenstra, former state director of administrative services Adam Steen, current Iowa state representative Eddie Andrews, former Iowa state representative Brad Sherman, and farmer Zach Lahn. State auditor Rob Sand is the only Democratic candidate in the race.
For federal offices, current U.S. representative Ashley Hinson and former Iowa state senator Jim Carlin are seeking the Republican nomination for the open U.S. Senate seat, with Iowa state representative Josh Turek and Iowa state senator Zach Wahls running for the Democratic nomination. In the race for Iowa’s U.S. House District 4 seat, Attorney Dave Dawson, retired nurse Stephanie Steiner and Ashley WolfTornabane are seeking the Democratic nomination, with Republican Chris McGowan seeking to fill the seat currently held by Rep. Feenstra.
For questions, concerns, or information about tomorrow’s primary elections, contact the Plymouth County Auditor’s Office at 712-546-6100 or visit plymouthcountyia.gov. Polls will open tomorrow at 7am and close at 8pm.
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First ever Walk for Inclusion to be held this month
Inclusive Connections, LLC has announced they will host their first annual Walk for Inclusion this month at the Olson Cultural Event Center in Le Mars.
The company stated in a Facebook post that the event would be a “fun and welcoming walk celebrating individuals with special needs and the families, friends, caregivers, and community members who support them every day.” The post further states that community partners will be present at the walk to share resources, services, and activities that support individuals with special needs and their families.
Registration for the walk is available online at inclusiveconnectionsllc.com starting at $15 for an individual and $100 for a team of ten. A $28 “Inclusion Matters” t-shirt is also available to purchase online. For questions about the event or registration, contact organizer Dr. Andrea Loutsch at 712-540-8615.
The first ever Walk for Inclusion will take place on Saturday, June 27th from 5-7pm at the Olson Cultural Event Center in Le Mars.
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DNR to conduct biological assessment of streams
The Iowa DNR will once again conduct biological assessments of Iowa streams to determine their ecological status and health. Environmental Specialist Ken Krier says they do a survey of fish and other species in the water.
The federal Clean Water Act requires states to monitor waterways. Krier says they’ve done the biological survey since 1994.
Krier says the state survey does a better job in surveying Iowa streams than national surveys because they’ve developed a good system. The state Environment Protection Commission recently approved $575,000 dollars in funding for the program.
(Story via Radio Iowa)
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