What began as a controlled burn Wednesday afternoon led to a barn burning to the ground, despite firefighters from five different stations responding.
Crews got the call about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. Initially firefighters from stations in Blenheim and South Raleigh were called to 19727 Charing Cross Road.
Fire officials say the homeowner had a controlled burn going, but that didn’t last. It spread out of control to his barn.
The 40×60 structure was in flames when firefighters arrived on scene.
High winds drove the fire rapidly through the structure and sent black smoke across Charing Cross Road.
Police closed the road so firefighters could shuttle water to the site, and to prevent the public from getting in the smoke path.
Fire crews had an excavator brought in to remove the roof from the collapsed structure to allow firefighters to gain access to the deep-seated fire.
No one was injured, and damage is estimated at $500,000.
