A stable barn at Ag Park in Columbus was destroyed in a fire on Wednesday morning and is now pending a Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office investigation.
“At this time, we have not made a determination as to the cause of the blaze,” Columbus Fire Department Chief Ryan Gray said, noting the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office was contacted to investigate and help determine the cause.
About 10:22 a.m. Aug. 30, 2023, CFD was dispatched to a reported structure fire at Ag Park, 822 15th St. in Columbus, indicating that one of the stable barns was on fire.
Upon arrival, crews found and confirmed a single stable barn was fully involved. Crews from CFD and Columbus Rural Fire Department were able to contain the fire to the building of origin. But, the fire chief said, the building was a total loss. Gray added that there were no reported injuries or deaths to firefighters, civilians or horses as of early Wednesday afternoon. There were horses in an adjacent barn, according to Gray, but they were unharmed.
The Columbus fire chief praised the efforts of all the entities who helped out when it came to response.
“We would like to thank Bellwood Fire Department for backfilling at Station 1 while our crews were tied up, the City of Columbus Parks and Recreation Department and the Ag Park staff for their assistance with providing heavy equipment and operators to assist us during the overhaul process,” Gray said.
(ABOUT THE PHOTO: Fire crews work on scene Wednesday morning at Ag Park.)