GREELEY, Colo. --
A grass fire driven by shifting, 40-mph winds destroyed a Greeley home and several outbuildings on Monday afternoon, officials said.
Two firefighters were injured battling the blaze, said Greeley Fire Division Chief Dale Lyman. The firefighters, one with a knee injury, the other with heat exhaustion, were transported by ambulance.
The fire was reported at 4 p.m. Monday at 83rd Avenue and 10th Street, Lyman said.
As high winds drove the fire toward buildings, the response jumped to three alarms and the Winsor-Severance Fire Department responded to provide mutual aid, he said.
Early on, firefighters took a defense position to shield a vacant home from a burning shed.
High winds quickly changed directions, blew over the burning shed and a wall of fire overtook a fire crew and their hose line, Lyman said.
Flames and intense heat forced the crew to abandon their hose line and make a running retreat, he said.
The fire destroyed a home and several outbuildings, he said. Damage was estimated at $250,000.
The cause of the fire is most likely the remnants of ditch burning that occurred days earlier, Lyman said.
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