Hay Barn Fire Will Continue To Burn, Could Be Impacts From Smoke
[Photo and video from Arcata Fire]
Arcata Fire District was dispatched to hay on fire inside of a barn at the 800 block of Mad River Road, Arcata Bottoms. As Arcata Firefighters were responding, dispatch reported the fire had spread to the structure and the barn was now on fire. Arcata Firefighters arrived to find a 14,400 square foot barn with light smoke showing from the eaves. As firefighters deployed hose lines and set up a water supply, fire conditions rapidly changed.
Firefighters were preparing to go inside to fight the fire when the hay pile collapsed, causing a massive fireball to erupt. Battalion Chief Campbell reports, “Thankfully our firefighters had not gone inside yet. When the hay pile collapsed, it cause a dust explosion. All of the hay dust and particles ignited simultaneously. This fire went from light smoke to a flashover in about thirty seconds”.
The barn contained approximately 187 tons of hay, which is equivalent to 500 bales weighing 750 pounds apiece. The entire barn and all of its contents were lost. Firefighters used approximately 30,000 gallons of water trying to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful. Once firefighters realized they didn’t have the water or staffing to extinguish the fire, they discontinued efforts and let the hay burn. Firefighters believe the fire will continue to burn for approximately one week. Those impacted by the smoke should keep their doors and windows closed. Arcata Fire is requesting the public not call 911 to report the smoldering fire. Firefighters will be checking the scene regularly.
“It became clear to me that we were not going to extinguish this fire so I made the decision to let it burn. I was tying up resources from seven fire departments and we were not making any progress. I released all resources and placed a fire watch on the scene to make sure the fire didn’t spread to other buildings”, reported Chief Campbell.
There were no injuries and no livestock were inside the barn. Fire investigators believe spontaneous combustion of the hay is what caused the fire.
Earlier Chapter: [More Photos] Hay Barn on Fire on Mad River Road
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Yes, thankfully no fire fighters had gone in to fight the fire before it exploded; what a heartbreak for the owners of the barn and hay but always a possibility.
So agree. That’s a lot of hay to lose. But at least no one was hurt. My sympathies to the owner.
Ive seen this. Not curing hay before storing will combust. It gets really hot inside the rolls that arnt cured and stored stacked on top of eachother. Glad no one was hurt and it disnt spread.
So. Is that why we see those big ‘rolls’ of ‘hay’ in fields for months? Are they curing? That’s an interesting piece of info. I think I understand now.
Exactly
Thanks again.
Good to know we can always learn something new!
wow ! that’spectacular to watch
This illustrates the terrible impact Hay has on our community. That the greed of these dairy farmers put our firefighters and community at risk is outrageous. I can’t cite the study, but it’s well known that those that consume this hay end up with cognitive deficits, and many don’t live past their late teens. These products must be more tightly regulated. A tracking system for bales, to make sure highschoolers don’t get a few bales to ‘roll around in’, strict monitoring, and storage requirements for the water used to grow the hay, it’s Mad River water, and there are fish in there. Detailed maps of the farm, and hay storage areas, with inspections. County State and city permits, to throw up a few hurdles so not everyone gets on the Hay Train.
Yeah! More government will fix it.
surely you jest
I think so. It’s a pot grower passing whining as humor.
Hahaha! Sneaky. Good one. (Dark) humor, satire, etc helps release some of the tension of being overly regulated. Keep it up!
That’s why I don’t like the larger bales and those they encase in plastic. More prone to becoming a fire hazard. Challenging putting up hay with our damp climate.
Small bales are for Small mini hobby farms, horse and sheep/goat people. Big bales generally are for the dairy and cattle industry. When you are buying by the ton, small bales just don’t make sense. Try feeding 60 yearling heifers with small bales….. it gets tiresome And old real quick.
There’s hay and then there’s haylage. Both can be in large round bales.https://www.herefordequestrian.co.uk/2013/07/22/hay-or-haylage-the-feed-debate-by-lucy-harris/#:~:text=The%20most%20obvious%20difference%20between%20hay%20and%20haylage%2C,in%20order%20to%20ensure%20it%20is%20sufficiently%20dried.
Isn’t haylage usually stored outside and hay stored undercover? So it was likely that this was just round bales and not haylage encased in plastic? Anyway isn’t haylage less likely to spontaneously combust because it’s sealed? I don’t have any experience with them so just wonder.
The whole point of the plastic sealing is to prevent oxidation that can lead to spontaneous combustion, by keeping moisture and oxygen out.
Good for a training video.
[…] Description: On August 24, 2020, Redheaded Blackbelt reported a dust explosion inside a barn in Arcata, […]