IVANHOE — A fire in a hog barn in rural Ivanhoe earlier this week could have been a lot worse, said Ivanhoe Fire Chief Shad Lipinski. But a fast response and the fact that there were no animals in the barn helped lessen the damage.

There were no injuries reported in the fire, Lipinski said. And while there was damage to the inside of the barn, he said, “It is repairable.”

The Ivanhoe Fire Department got the call about the barn fire around 3 p.m. Monday, Lipinski said. The barn, which he estimated as being about 80 feet by 275 feet in area, had been emptied for cleaning. The barn owner saw the fire and called it in right away, Lipinski said.

Ivanhoe firefighters were on the scene until about 5:30 Monday afternoon, he said. The cause of the barn fire is undetermined, and the fire is currently still under investigation, Lipinski said.

— Deb Gau