Westby-Christiana Fire Chief Spencer Lee said his fire department received a call about a structure fire around 2:30 Friday afternoon and his department along with numerous surrounding departments responded to the Andrew and Edna Miller farm off of Pa’s Road on Goplin Ridge. Lee said he called for mutual aide with several surrounding departments because it was as structure fire and the remote location would require hauling water long distances.

Conditions are also ripe for wildfires and much of Southern Wisconsin, including Vernon County, remains under a burn ban. Lee said quick response from area departments kept the chance for fire jumping to surrounding fields to a minimum. Besides the Westby-Christiana Fire Department there were crews and equipment on the scene from Viroqua, La Farge, Cashton, Coon Valley, Readstown and Ontario.

An excavator was on scene as fire crews picked through the rubble looking for hot-spots. Lee said there a lot partitioned off areas in the building that could keep the fire burning in spots so they need to be opened up. Lee said there were no reports of any injuries and it is unclear what started the fire.