Minnesota man hears 'boom' and then finds shed on fire

An explosion led to a fire that burned down a shed in central Minnesota over the weekend. 

A 47-year-old Avon man told the Stearns County Sheriff's Office that he heard a boom around 3:45 p.m. Saturday and then saw his outdoor wood boiler and a large shed – 30 feet by 60 feet – on fire. 

Firefighters responded to the blaze on the 34000 block of Smiley Drive in Avon Township and found the shed fully engulfed in flames. The shed was a total loss, including two vehicles and two 4-wheelers. 

Siding on the the man's house that faced the shed was melted by the heat of the fire, while a barn housing cattle on the property sustained heat damage and was smoldering but never caught on fire. None of the cattle were harmed. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

Wood boiler and shed start on fire in Avon Township Saturday afternoon.