Fire Crews Contain Barn Blaze Near Watertown; Nearby Structures Saved

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - Watertown Fire Rescue successfully protected two homes and a nearby shop after responding to a fully engulfed barn fire at 17359 464th Avenue on the afternoon of Monday, September 29th.

Watertown Fire Rescue crews, including Battalion 1, Engine 1, and Tender 1, were dispatched at approximately 12:45 p.m. and arrived to find a massive smoke column visible from miles away. The barn was fully engulfed in flames and had already collapsed upon the arrival of the initial crews.

Firefighters immediately focused on protecting the exposures, successfully preventing the fire from spreading to two nearby residences, a shop, and a shelterbelt. While the nearby homes sustained minor damage to their siding, and the shop incurred some damage, the crews successfully prevented the fire from entering any of the structures. No injuries were reported in the incident.

The barn and its contents, which included vehicles and equipment, were deemed a total loss.

The scale of the fire necessitated a significant response effort, including mutual aid from the Castlewood and Goodwin Fire Departments for suppression and water shuttling operations, which required approximately 20,000 gallons of water. Codington County Deputies and the South Dakota Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control, and Northwestern Energy managed utilities at the scene.

Watertown Fire Rescue extended sincere thanks to its mutual aid partners, including the Goodwin and Castlewood Fire Departments. Officials also thanked neighbor Brian Zaug of BZ Welding for assisting crews by using a skid steer and grapple hooks to remove heavy debris, allowing firefighters to access and extinguish hidden hot spots.