A wooden machine shed containing old tractors and other machinery caught fire northeast of Fort Dodge Monday night.

Badger and Vincent volunteer fire departments were the first to arrive on scene after the fire was reported at 6:24 p.m.

No one was inside the 40-foot-by-70-foot structure at the time of the fire, according to Chad Opheim, Badger volunteer fire chief.

The building, located at 2517 170th St., is considered a total loss, Opheim said.

Opheim said the fire was started by a grass fire.

“The wind picked up and caught the building on fire,” he said.

Ed Spire, owner of the property, said he first noticed the fire sometime after 6 p.m.

He came outside and saw a cloud of smoke, he said.

He said he was raking dead grass clippings near the shed earlier. He then went inside his home at a time when he believed the clippings, which had been burning, were just ash.

“It was just ashes when I was raking it,” he said.

Opheim said fire departments had the fire under control at about 7:20 p.m.

He said the heat impacted the firefighters’ efforts.

“With it being so hot out, we have been rotating guys in and out as needed,” he said.

Clare Volunteer Fire Department provided water support at about 7 p.m.

Webster County sheriff’s deputies, UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center ambulance and MidAmerican Energy Co. were also on scene.