Altona/Rhineland fire crews had their hands full battling two house fires this morning on 2nd Avenue NE.

The home in which the fire started was destroyed, but it also damaged two neighbouring homes, according to Fire Chief Greg Zimmerman.

"When our crews arrived it was totally involved and had melted the siding on a house on the west side, but the blaze had extended into the roof of a house on the east side."

The home on the east side sustained significant damage, according to Zimmerman.

He says fighting two fires at once can be a challenging situation.

"It's very difficult. They have the original house that would be burning, but that wouldn't be the priority. The priority would be the house where the siding was melting and the house were a fire started in the attic space."

No one was home in the house where the fire started, and no one was injured in the incident.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner will investigate the cause of the blaze.

Earlier in the evening, crews were called to a field fire just west of Altona. 

Deputy Fire Chief Barry Friesen says the blaze was essentially extinguished by the time fire fighters arrived thanks to the quick action of some area farmers that snuffed the flames with their tractors. He notes only about an acre of wheat was lost in the incident. 

Suspicions are that a piece of overheated farming equipment ignited the fire. 

A neighboring home also sustained damage from the blaze