RILEY COUNTY — Fire destroyed a large metal building in north Riley County Friday morning.
The building at 5711 Toburen Road, near the Riley County border with Marshall County, was a multi-purpose structure utilized for both agriculture and residential use. Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins tells KMAN the fire likely started accidentally but that the cause has not yet been determined.
Collins says seven Riley County fire trucks and six from Marshall County were on site, and that 17 Riley County volunteer firefighters and 15 from Marshall County battled the blaze for over 4 hours following the call that was made late last night.
There were no injuries. Damage to the structure and contents were listed at $160,000.
In another fire early Friday morning, a 2013 Chevy pickup, along with numerous wood working tools and supplies, were destroyed in Leonardville. The vehicle owner, Chris Schurle of Leonardville, says the fire likely started with a combination of wood-refinishing chemicals, rags and sawdust which ignited the fire. Chief Collins estimated the loss to be approximately $50,000.