IVFD battles bale fire, twice because of wind

    Firefighters were challenged not once, but twice, in taking care of a bale fire at the old Frank Clements place last weekend.
    The fire was first reported by Sheriff’s Deputy Rob Browning, who was on duty at the time. He called in the fire about 10:45 p.m. at the farm along 331 Road, just west of the transfer station.
    Five fire units were on scene, said First Asst. Chief Brad Wheeler, as 50 bales were burning. They didn’t attempt to extinguish them, he said, but directed their efforts at protecting a nearby out building and an ensilage pile.
    The firefighters returned to the fire hall about 2 a.m., he said, as Scott Clements, who now owns the farm with his wife Linda, remained on scene overnight to watch the bales.
    Wheeler said they suspect possibly spontaneous combustion started the fire. The bales were about two years old.
    Very high winds Sunday afternoon apparently kicked the fire within the bales back up again, said Chief Doug Mitchell.
    After Friday’s fire, he said the bales had been moved to a “clean” location north of their feedlot in the corner of a circle.
    The 20-35 mph south winds (with peaks in the 40 mph range) blew the reignited fire into a row of more than 40 cedar trees. Several trees burned and were lost, Mitchell said.
    However, firefighters were able to prevent the fire’s spread into some six to seven-feet tall corn to the north. The fire burned within about 30 feet of the crop, he said.
    Mitchell added that Clements had recently mowed a strip of grass between the trees and corn that allowed them to get at the fire more quickly. Higher grass would have also contributed to a faster spreading fire, he said.