By Connie Weight cweight@nebraska.tv Twitter @ntvconnieweight
Fire crews monitor the remains of an early afternoon fire Northeast of Shelton.
Thursday, Shelton Volunteer Fire Department was initially called to a grass fire that quickly damaged a machine shed and destroyed two out buildings on a farmstead, which also spread to a nearby ditch.
Officials say the landowner was cutting metal and had watered down an area to prevent a fire when a spark jumped the safe area.
"He did all he could do or all he thought of before he started his cutting operations," said Shelton V.F.D. Captain Darren Young. "Just, you never know where the sparks are going to jump to when you're using a cutting torch."
Shelton called on mutual aide from Gibbon, Wood River and Cairo to help with the fire. Four firemen were treated on scene for heat issues during the fire.
