On April 20, 2025, at 6:50 a.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a call of a building fire at the address of 32526 CR 169 in Melrose Township.
Upon arrival deputies learned the resident, James Ronald Mueller, 53, had shut down and parked a skid steer in the cattle barn the previous night at approximately 9:30 p.m. Mueller reported the following morning, he was contacted by a party at a neighboring farm, that smoke could be seen coming from the vents of the cattle barn. When Mueller went to check, he found the skid steer fully engulfed inside. After calling 911, Mueller attempted to extinguish the fire with portable fire extinguishers.
The Melrose Fire Department and EMS responded to the scene and were able to remove and extinguish the skid steer before further damage occurred. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. All 130 head of cattle in the barn also appeared to be unharmed. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
