News

Souris family loses barn, animals in fire

By Scott Wagar

01/20/2015

A Souris family lost their barn to a fire on Thursday evening which burned so intensely the structure burned to the ground in a short time and a number of animals were lost in the fire.

The barn belonged to Kris and Jamie Mortenson who live six and a half miles northwest of Souris. 

Jamie was home with the couples’ three children when she discovered the barn was on fire. The Mortenson family had a pony named Renegade and seven pregnant goats in the barn, along with seven horses and a number of steers in corrals up against the barn. Jamie immediately called the Souris Fire Department and then made her way out to the barn to get the animals out of the barn and corrals.

She was able to get the seven horses out of their corral, but then had to back away from the fire because of the heat and smoke of the fire. 

Jamie then went back to the house, but the heat from the fire was so hot that Jamie and the kids couldn’t breathe in the house; so, Jamie and the kids went to the family vehicle and drove off the farmstead for their own safety.

The Souris Fire Department came immediately, but the barn burned quickly and was on the ground by the time they arrived at the scene.

The truss also went fast and hit the ground so hard it made a loud booming sound and shot fire out the first floor windows by five feet. 

Once there, the firemen went to work to protect the other structures on the property. There were also a number of hay bales near the barn, but one of the Souris’ firemen jumped into a Bobcat owned by the Mortensons and was able to move the majority of the bales.

The fire department was able to contain the fire to the barn and no other structures were destroyed. 

However, a pony was lost in the fire, along with the seven goats which were to have their kids (babies) the following day.

The steers saved themselves by bunching up together in the far end of their corral away from the fire and smoke which was pushed the opposite direction with the wind.

The Mortenson family, who spend their spare time participating in rodeos, lost all of their saddles and tack in the fire, along with other barn items. 

As the Mortensons start over after the fire, a neighbor has taken the family’s cattle and placed them in his barn, while the surviving horses are taking shelter under lean-tos on the Mortenson’s farmstead.

The cause of the fire is uncertain, but foul play has been ruled out and no further investigation will take place by the state’s fire marshall.