Eckelson (KFGO / NewsDakota.com) – A family is without a home after a fire Thursday afternoon in rural Barnes County.

Rural Fire Chief Tim Lyter said the house, about five miles south of the I-94 Eckelson exit between Jamestown and Valley City, was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived on the scene around 12:45 p.m.

Lyter said a concern for firefighters was a 500 gallon propane tank near the house. They were able to control the fire near that. 

Wind was also a factor.

“With the fire being out there in the country, there’s a lot of CRP,” Lyter said. “Luckily, they had a tree grove on the north side of the house that helped slow the wind speeds down where we got the house under control and it was contained pretty much to the house itself.” 

Firefighters from the Valley City Rural Fire District and Rural Sanborn Fire Department responded.