BADGER - When family members of Steve Johanson arrived at his rural Badger home Tuesday afternoon, they discovered his barn and most of its contents had been completely destroyed by a fire.
The Badger Volunteer Fire Department responded to a 911 call reporting the fire at 1033 Paragon Ave. north of Badger at approximately 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Johanson was not home when the fire was reported, likely by a neighbor or passer-by. Within minutes, the barn had collapsed and it was clear the barn and its contents would be consumed by fire.
According to Webster County Sheriff's Deputy Brett Knippel, the fire appears to have originated from a nearby brush pile that had been burning. Windy conditions likely caused the fire to spread across the yard, igniting some grass and a nearby wooden wagon before moving to the barn.
"You can see the spots in the yard where the fire jumped around," said Knippel. "It definitely burned parts of the yard before getting to the barn."
The barn was used for storage for several items, including a number of boats.
"We used to raise livestock in the barn," said Andy Johanson, Steve Johanson's son. "Now it was used mostly for storage. We had a lot in there; some sailboats, canoes, a few mowers, snowmobiles and an antique horse-drawn buggy."
One fishing boat was able to be saved from the barn before it was fully involved in flames. The structure was considered a total loss.
Contact Emilie Nelson at 573-2141 or enelson@messengernews.net
