Residents of Blumenort and motorists on Highway 12 may have noticed a barn fire south of the community Tuesday evening.

The fire was actually a training exercise for the local fire department.

Terry Thiessen with Hillside Construction says they recently purchased the property for development.

"We looked at all the new construction in Blumenort and we came across an opportunity to pick up another lot right close by. It comes with some really old barns on there as well as an old house. We are actually good friends with the local fire department and we thought it would be a good opportunity to see if they wanted to train. We have some old barns that gotta come down and they jumped all over it."

Thiessen says the old farmyard is just south of the new development in Blumenort and about a quarter-mile west of the Penner Drive service road. He notes he has some surprising history with this property.

"Travis Friesen is the President of Hillside and I am actually related to him. It turns out our great grandparents are the same and they were actually the original owners of this property. It feels like a surprising full-circle moment."

Thiessen says there is also a house on the property that will also be used for fire training later this summer.