Fire near Sacred Heart destroys home, damages firefighting equipment

A house was a total loss and firefighting equipment was destroyed in a blaze about four miles west of Sacred Heart on Monday afternoon. 

The Sacred Heart Fire Department responded to a call reporting smoke coming from an attic at an address on Renville Co Rd 10 at 3:42 p.m. 

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find flames coming through the roof of the two-story home. The home occupants had escaped safely. 

Fire crews could initially bring in limited equipment and were forced to resort to an “exterior attack’ on the fire, due to the amount of snow in the farm yard.   The snow hindered fire crews, who had to enlist the help of neighboring farmers to move snow so trucks and equipment could be brought in. Sub-zero temperatures also complicated efforts. 

No crew members were injured in the blaze. Fire officials estimate that 30,000 to 40,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire. 

The Sacred Heart Fire Department said the home was ultimately a total loss, and the extreme cold had damaged some of the SHFD’s equipment.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the state fire marshal’s office.