Authorities investigating a fire in rural Lyle Sunday evening deemed suspicious in nature

Authorities are investigating after a fire that destroyed an abandoned farmhouse near Lyle Sunday evening is being deemed as suspicious in nature.

The Lyle Fire Department and Mower County Sheriff’s Department responded to the fire at approximately 9:15 p.m. Sunday evening on the 58000 block of 140th St. near Lyle.  

Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik reported that the house had previously had the gas and electric utilities disconnected. The property owner told authorities that he was in the process of contracting with a separate fire department to perform a controlled burn of the property to convert the site to usable farmland.

Sheriff Sandvik stated that the house was fully engulfed in flames when authorities arrived on the scene and is being considered a total loss. No injuries were reported, and Sandvik went on to state that at this point, the cause of the fire is unknown and there are currently no suspects. 

The fire marshal’s office is on the scene to investigate as Sheriff Sandvik stated that with the gas and electric utilities disconnected, how the fire started is why it is being deemed as suspicious in nature.  

If anyone has any information, you are asked to contact the Mower County Sheriff’s Department at (507) 437-9400.