BEATRICE – Members of three fire departments were sent to battle a machine shed fire Tuesday night, about three miles east of Beatrice, that caused an estimated loss totaling $250,000.


Beatrice Rural Firefighters, with help from Pickrell and Filley Fire Departments were sent to the scene at 6:12 p.m., at 55-94 East Sargent Road.
A large metal machine shed off the north side of the road was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. Beatrice Rural Fire Chief Matt Langley says the shed housed several vehicles.


"Many vehicles....many vintage vehicles...there's also a semi tractor located in the building. Everything's a total loss, at this point".

Six vehicles were inside the structure, including a camper and boat.  Several refrigeration units and tools were also stored in the building.
Firefighters arriving on scene encountered several small explosions from inside the structure, which Langley says were likely the result of several tires being burned and the presence of some propane bottles. A portable tank was set up at the fire scene, and Langley says it took a lot of water trying to knock down the flames.
"Probably filled six to eight times now....and we're going to be going through another half-dozen tanks, at least".


Firefighters attacked the flames from outside the structure, because it was too dangerous to enter the structure. Some of the walls were blown outward by the heat of the blaze and eventually collapsed. No one apparently was injured in the fire.
Langley said firefighters were likely going to use an excavator to peel tin walls away on the building to put the flames inside.


"We have not gone inside. We will not go inside. It was just too unsafe at that point when we got here on scene, so we're fighting it from the outside. We got what we can down and once the excavator gets here, start peeling it away and we can continue our fight".

The shed was located north of a house, with two grain bins located just to the west.  It did not appear that any other structures were damaged.  The cause of the fire was being investigated and a state fire marshal investigator was summoned to the scene.   

The fire was completely out at around 10:54 p.m. and rural firefighters and equipment left the scene.