Hitterdal Barn Fire Causes Extensive Damage To Farm

A fire at a farm near Hitterdal burnt down a large barn.

The flames were so intense, multiple fire departments were called out, causing two road closures.

The fire at the barn still isn’t completely out.

After it started burning around 3 pm yesterday the remains of the building are still smoldering.

It was just another day of work for Warren Duhnam and his son, until out of nowhere, this took a dramatic turn.

“I saw the black smoke, and I think what’s this going on? I come racing back up here. He was still in the shop. He come out the door and couldn’t figure out where all the smoke was coming from. By that time the fire had gone through the roof,” says Duhnam.

Fire officials say the blaze began as a result of the sun beating though a window in the barn heating up hay bales.

The large amount of hay inside fueled the flames, making it a hard battle for firefighters.

“We were able to put most of that out but it was all a total loss,” says Ulen Fire Chief Nick Theis.

The fire in the barn spread to two other buildings on the property. A large amount of equipment inside the barn was lost.

Fire officials say they’re estimating the total cost of the damage to be near half a million dollars.

But Duhnam says he thinks insurance will help cover most of it.

Losing this amount of property to a fire can be devastating enough but to make matters worse, this isn’t the first time this has happened to property owner Warren Duhnam.

The barn that just burned down was built two years ago, replacing the original barn which burned down in 2013.

“Oh this is terrible. I didn’t think it could happen twice,” says Duhnam.

Last time, it was an electrical issue that caused the fire.

The new barn had modern electrical systems put in place, but they were powerless to stop the fluke combustion of the hay bales.

“When it’s your time it’s your time and you’re going to have something happen it’s going to happen,” says Duhnam.

Hopefully this is the last time it happens to the Duhnam family.

Warren Duhnam says the most important thing is that no one was hurt in the fire.

He said it’s just a building, and a new one can always be built.