Six structures in the north end of Hot Spring, two of them vacant houses, were destroyed by a fast-moving fire Saturday that may have been started by someone burning trash in high winds.

Hot Springs Fire Chief Jim Stevens told the Hot Springs Star that there were no injuries in the blaze in the Cold Brook subdivision, but that 2 houses, 2 garages, and 2 other outbuildings were destroyed with at least one other structure damaged. A camper and a school bus were also destroyed.

An investigator from the South Dakota State Fire Marshal’s Office visited the scene, but did not issue a report or findings on the cause of the fire.

Assistant Fire Chief and Fall River County Sheriff Bob Evans told the newspaper that the preliminary investigation suggested a property owner was burning trash and it got away from him because of the gusting winds.

Martin Malenke owned most, if not all, the destroyed structures and told the Star that he had no insurance on them.

He said a friend had called him about the fire just as he got back to town, so he went to the scene and after trying briefly to help fight the fire to protect his garage, began moving things from his house…which firefighters were able to save.

His losses included shop equipment and antiques…some items he’d been collecting since he was 10 along with wood-working tools and unusual woods that both had belonged to his grandfather…but he told the Star that it was still a good day because nobody died.

Fire fighters from the Minnekahta and Cascade Fire Departments joined those from the Hot Springs department under a mutual assistance call.