The Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians lost a barn to a fire at a newly acquired ranch in Oregon.

Damp hay had been stored in the barn, causing microbes to generate heat after mold formed on the bales. Strong winds blew into the barn on Tuesday, igniting the fire.

"Something like this is just begging for fresh air to ignite," a local fire marshal told The Medford Mail Tribune.

The tribe closed on the 1,700-acre Rogue River Ranch just last Friday. It's located near the site where tribal ancestors signed a treaty in 1853.

Get the Story:
Fire levels barn on tribal land (The Medford Mail-Tribune 5/22)
Return to the land: Cow Creek Band works to buy ranch (The Medford Mail-Tribune 5/1)