By Adam Hammer, staff writer

BRICELYN &8212; Lightning is thought to have started a fire atop the grain elevator here this morning, said Bricelyn Fire Chief Tim Beyer.

Golfball-sized hail slowed the ability of firefighters to get from their homes to the fire station, Beyer said.

The call for &8220;a ball of flame&8221; spotted on the tallest structure in Bricelyn came in at 2:30 a.m.

The blaze didn&8217;t get out of control, he said.

&8220;For the most part, it put itself out,&8221; Beyer said.

Seven fire departments responded: Bricelyn, Walters, Keister, Wells, Blue Earth, Minnesota Lake

and Frost. Most were cleared by 4 a.m. Bricelyn left the scene at 7:38 a.m.

The top east side of the elevator appears blown off and scattered on the ground.

It doesn&8217;t appear as if any grain was lost from the Watonwan Farm Service elevator, just building damage.

People are clearing debris this morning and the extent of the blaze&8217;s damages remain to be seen.

The elevator in Bricelyn is on Main Street two blocks south of business district.

Large hail was reported along communities close to the Iowa-Minnesota border in the wee hours this morning.

Emmons reported getting baseball-sized hail. Homes were damaged all along the path of the hailstorm.

Read the Tribune&8217;s Thursday edition for more.