TOWN OF WESTPORT, Wis.
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A fire destroyed a large tobacco storage shed on Thursday in the town of Westport, the Dane County Sheriff's Office said.
Dane County sheriff's deputies, Dane/Waunakee Fire Department & EMS and the Deforest Fire Department responded just after 5 p.m. to a report of a large barn on fire at 5995 River Rd.
The barn, which contained tobacco, was totally engulfed in flames and had collapsed to the ground by the time crews arrived.
Sheriff's officials said the barn, which was built in the 1920s, is considered a total loss, but damage estimates are unknown at this time.
There were no injuries.
The Waunakee fire chief said the Sunnyside Farm is no longer a working farm but its owners rent out the barns as storage space to other farmers.
Sunnyside Farm had served as a 4-H farm for years, and those who spent time there said it was tough to watch it burn Thursday.
"I've always been there for years and years up until a year ago. I left the barn because I bought my own horse, but I made a lot of friends there. I have a lot of memories, and it's sad," said Liberty Khazae, who rode horses on the farm.
The Waunakee fire chief said the property owners told him about a history of electrical problems over the past couple of years, and he said investigators suspect those problems might have started the fire.
Sheriff's officials said the exact cause is yet to be determined. They said the fire does not appear suspicious.
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