Chief: Burn barrel sparked Prineville barn house fire

A burn barrel sparked a fire that destroyed a house and barn in northwest Prineville Saturday afternoon, officials said Sunday.

Crook County Fire and Rescue responded around 1 p.m. to the reported fire in the 400 block of NW McDonald Road, said Fire Chief Matt Smith.

Smith said the fire started from a burn barrel and spread to the nearby barn. By the time crews arrived, the barn was engulfed and the fire had spread to the adjacent manufactured home.

Sixteen firefighters, three water tenders, two engines and an ambulance were called out to the fire, Smith said.

The Red Cross said the fire displaced two adults and a cat. The organization provided food, clothes, lodging, comfort kits and information about health and mental health services.

Fire crews remained on scene until 9 p.m. Saturday, and the fire was still burning in the foundation’s interior Sunday morning and putting out a lot of smoke, Smith said. Unsafe conditions were keeping firefighters from fully dousing the blaze, he added.