Firefighters Respond to Structure Fire in Mills

According to a press release from the Mills Fire Department, at 8:09 p.m. on Nov. 6 firefighters from the Mills Fire Department, Bar Nunn Fire Department, and Natrona County Fire District responded to a structure fire at 310 Riverview Drive in Mills.

Get our free mobile app

A detached shed was engulfed in flames behind the home, with the fire having melted an overhead power line that led to the residence.

The shed and its contents were considered a total loss.

An investigation was conducted by an investigator from the Natrona County Fire Investigation Task Force who determined that a warming fire had been started because of an appliance from inside the shed.

John Dierenfeldt, a captain with the Mills Fire Department, said that he believes the appliance in question was a cut-open helium bottle that was being used as a stove.

That appliance could not adequately distribute the heat from the burning wood fed into it, and subsequently heated and ignited the surrounding shed.

The home did sustain some form of cosmetic damage and no occupants were displaced as a result of the fire, nor have any injuries been reported because of the fire.

Dierenfeldt said that in terms of damage to the nearby residence, that amounted to melted siding and damage to the window trim because of the nearby fire.

The Mills Police Department, Banner Health EMS, Black Hills Energy, and the Casper PSCC dispatch center, were also involved in the response, along with Casper Fire/EMS providing an engine and chief officer for mutual aid.

The release reminds people to use caution when using any heating source and that the use of warming fires inside of structures should only occur in rated appliances for such applications.