A barn on a property in North Routt County caught fire early Sunday, resulting in a complete loss of the barn and much of the equipment inside, according to North Routt Fire Protection District Chief Matt Mathisen.
The barn, located at 47575 Routt County Road 52W, caught fire around 3:25 a.m. on Sunday. North Routt Fire Protection District firefighters responded to the scene with a fire engine and a water tender.
Property owners John and Holly Fielding said they made the initial call after Holly saw the blaze from the main home.
"(The animals) were not in the barn at all, and that was actually because I made a mistake. It was a good mistake, but I got my horse's due date wrong," said Holly. "I thought she wasn't due for another month, and she had her baby yesterday morning."
"If I had realized that was her due date, I would have had her in the box stall in the barn ... We named her Phoenix," continued Holly.
John Fielding/Courtesy video
No people or animals were injured in the fire. Along with the barn, the fire destroyed a camping trailer and a car near the barn, added Mathisen.
Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue also responded to the call, bringing an additional fire engine and a 750-gallon water tender.
Crews worked on extinguishing and containing the flames for around eight hours, using about 12,000 gallons of water from water tenders and a nearby pond on the property, according to Mathisen.
"(North Routt Fire Protection District) is in the urban interface," Mathisen said. "A lot of people that live in Steamboat are used to having fire hydrants everywhere. In North Routt, there's only one subdivision that has fire hydrants. In all outlying areas, water has to be hauled in."
The main home, located around 50-75 feet away from the barn, was not damaged in the fire.
"Huge shout out to the mutual aid from (Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue)," added Mathisen. "They always come and help North Routt, which is wonderful. That's how we get these fires put out -- by mutual aid. (Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue) really stepped up to the game and helped North Routt out."
Although the cause of the fire is unknown and currently under investigation, Holly Fielding said she suspects that mice chewed through the insulation of wiring in the barn.
"I would advise people to get lots of barn cats," she said.
The Fieldings said their insurance company estimated replacement value of the destroyed structures at about $43,000 -- but depreciated the value for the 30 years it has been standing, leaving only $10,000 for the couple to use to rebuild the barn.
"It gets so cold in the winter, and the animals have to have an indoor place to be," said Holly. "We don't have an option, we do have to rebuild ... We're going to be about $30,000 short of replacing the barn."
The barn fire is the fourth fully involved structure fire in Routt County since mid-April, giving a peek into the dry fire season ahead.
On April 18, multiple Routt County fire districts responded to a fully involved structure fire reported at a property located roughly 12 miles south of Hayden.
Only three weeks later, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue controlled a house fire that ended in a total loss of property on Routt County Road 44.
Most recently, on May 8, a barn near U.S. Highway 40 in Milner was destroyed in a fire.
Mathisen emphasized the importance of homeowners being cautious about fire risks and addressing issues before a tragedy occurs.
"Yes, it's springtime and everything is greening up, but we haven't had very much rainfall ... ," said Mathisen. "There are a lot of new people in the area because of all the camping that just opened up, but it's just dry."
To support the Fielding family rebuild their bar, visit TinyUrl.com/2sujpjrh.