Rural Fires Damage Structures

Fires kept rural firefighter crews busy over the weekend. According to Captain Roger Soldan with the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, a Morton Building burned down Saturday while a hay loft in a barn was damaged by fire on Sunday.

Captain Soldan tells KSAL News that Rural Fire District #7 responded to a fire at 2752 W. Pleasant Hill on Saturday morning at about 10:30am.  Deputies say the owner was burning trash in a barrel with a screen on it and left it unattended for a short time. The fire jumped out of the barrel and ignited the grass and then a 30-foot by 40-foot Morton Building. Owner Clair Steinly told deputies a lawn mower, log splitter and trailer that were kept inside were destroyed. Total loss is listed at $10,000.

Rural Fire District #1 responded to a barn on fire in the 9000 block of E. Assaria Road Sunday morning around 10am.

Captain Soldan tells KSAL News that apparently an 11-year-old and 12-year-old ignited some hay to roast marshmallows when the fire went out of control and damaged the upper southwest corner of the structure. Damage is estimated at $1,000