Multiple fire agencies responded to a blaze northwest of Bayfield on Saturday afternoon that consumed a barn.
The fire was reported about 1:36 p.m. at 405 County Road 504. No one was inside the structure at the time of the fire.
Durango, Upper Pine River and Los Pinos fire protection districts were on scene shuttling water to the blaze.
“It was a barn that was also a woodworking and mechanic shop,” said Upper Pine River Fire Protection District Chief Bruce Evans. “It was a very large structure. There were small explosions going off in the building when we arrived.”
The structure is considered a total loss, Evans said. Crews are investigating the cause of the fire.
“It will take us a while to sift through and investigate,” he said. “We have people on scene looking into it. The owners were alerted by neighbors that their barn was on fire. By the time we got there, it was a substantial fire.”
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office will assist with the investigation.
Evans said crews will remain on scene through the evening to ensure containment of the fire.
“The fire is in an overhaul phase,” he said. “It is being mopped up, and we will be on it the rest of the evening to make sure it doesn’t spread to the nearby wilderness.”
mrupani@durangoherald.com
