-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Smoke continues to billow out of a car in a ditch north of Barnum Wednesday night as Webster County Sheriff’s Deputy Derek Christie looks on. Barnum firefighters were called to the intersection of Easter Avenue and 180th Street at about 9:15 p.m. for a car fully engulfed. The car was found less than a mile west of that intersection. Firefighters were on scene for about an hour. According to Webster County Sheriff’s Deputy Geoff Miller, the man driving the car entered the north ditch before the car caught fire. The bumper of the car appeared to have some damage to it as if it had recently been in an accident, although that information was not confirmed by officials Wednesday night. The man, who was not named was treated on scene by Clare EMS before being transported by Christie to the Webster County Law Enforcement Center for further testing, according to Miller. The Barnum Volunteer Fire Department, Clare EMS, Webster County sheriff’s deputies, and Iowa State Patrol responded.