(ABC 6 News) – The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that the fire that engulfed an empty barn likely began when embers from the nearby burn pit blew toward the wooden structure.

The owner of the barn had been tearing it down to sell the wood for other projects, Capt. Tim Parkin said, so the only loss was the usable wood.

However, that wood was valued at about $10,000, he added.

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(ABC 6 News) – The Pine Island Fire Department is at the scene of a large barn fire.

According to one fire official, the cause of the fire is believed to a nearby fire pit, which sent burning embers toward the barn before igniting the entire structure.

Although damage estimates have yet to be released, an ABC 6 News crew at the scene around 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17 reported that the structure has been reduced to its cinder block base.

The fire first started when a nearby fire pit sent burning embers toward the barn, igniting it before reducing it to its cinder base.

ABC 6 will update this story as more information becomes available.

A Previous version of this story reported that the Rochester Fire Department was the responding agency. The Pine Island Fire Department responded, while the Oronoco Fire Department provided support.