Rural vacant home destroyed by fire

A vacant rural Scotts Bluff County home was destroyed by fire Monday after burning along an adjacent cement irrigation ditch got out of control.

The call went out to Minatare firefighters just before 4 p.m. Monday afternoon. They were joined in mutual aid by Gering and Scottsbluff Rural firefighters in knocking down the blaze. The fire was just south of Highland Road on County Road 31.

Minatare Fire Chief Tom Case told KNEB News the fire had spread quickly from the ditch into the trees and consumed the vacant house. It is unknown at this time if the property is owned by the farmer that was burning the ditch.