Photo by Deb Gau In a view from Lyon County Road 20, debris from a large machine shed could be seen at a rural Marshall farm site Wednesday. The machine shed and its contents were destroyed in a fire Tuesday night. However, no injuries were reported.

MARSHALL — The cause of a large fire Tuesday night at a farm site about 5 miles south of Marshall is undetermined.

Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold said the blaze, which destroyed a large machine shed and threatened a house and other buildings, is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. An investigator was at the scene on Wednesday, he said.

No injuries were reported in the fire. But fire departments from across Lyon County and into Redwood County were needed to supply enough water to put it out, Brunsvold said.

“The biggest issue when you do a rural response like that is resources,” Brunsvold said.

Access to water is more limited, so tanker trucks need to travel to the scene.

The evening fire was reported at a farm site on the 2100 block of U.S. Highway 59, south of Marshall. The burning structure created a large plume of smoke that could be seen in Marshall.

Brunsvold said the Marshall Fire Department received a page about the fire at 7:41 p.m., and the first fire engine arrived on scene at 7:50 p.m. However, additional fire departments had to be called in to assist.

Brunsvold said every fire department in Lyon County, plus the Milroy and Walnut Grove Fire Departments, responded with tanker trucks.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation also declared a temporary detour on part of U.S. Highway 59 to make way for responding firefighters and tanker trucks.

It took more than four hours to extinguish the fire, Brunsvold said. The machine shed and its contents were a total loss, he said. Firefighters were able to save a nearby house, as well as two other sheds to the east and north of the machine shed.

“The house had a little melted siding,” Brunsvold said.

Brunsvold said the Marshall Fire Department was “very grateful” for mutual aid from area fire departments.