A grass fire just northwest of Lorette spread to four buildings Wednesday evening.

Tache Fire Chief Allen Rau says the fire spread quickly due to the wind and tall dry grass.

"We got called out at 5 last night to a grass fire on Poirier Road and upon arrival, I was the first vehicle on scene and I noticed that some structures got involved as well. What happened is a carelessly discarded cigarette caught some grass on fire and then there were three sheds, wood structures and a barn type of facility that got burned."

In total, Rau says the fire covered approximately 5 acres. He notes his firefighters were able to contain the fire quickly and keep the nearby homes safe.

"We stopped it from moving within an hour but the building itself, the long building that was there which we are referring to as a barn, it had a number of different uses over its lifetime, it took us until about 9 before we got that completely put out. Then we had to mop up some of the bush area. We had to cut some trees down because they were burned through and just an overhaul of the area."

Damage from the fire is estimated at $175,000.

With the extremely dry conditions we have had this spring, Rau encourages residents to be vigilant.

The grass fire spread to a nearby barn structure