From Local Sources

HAYSVILLE — Firefighters spent more than nine hours at the scene of a hay bale fire Monday east of Haysville where the loss was estimated in excess of $8,000.

Units of the Haysville Volunteer Fire Department were called to the Amos Hemmerlein property at 2015 E. 725N at 2:57 a.m., according to Fire Chief John Fuhrman.

Hemmerlein called authorities when he noticed that the 195 large round bales of hay that his son, Skylar Hemmerlein, had stacked on top of each other on his property were on fire.

Fuhrman said the hay spontaneously combusted.

With the assistance of a Dubois Volunteer Fire Department tanker, almost 37,000 gallons of water were sprayed on the burning hay “just to knock it down,” Fuhrman said.

Fuhrman said a Lechner Excavating track hoe was called to the scene to bury the smoldering hay.

“It was up on a hillside out in a field,” Fuhrman said. “About the only way we were going to get it put out was to bury it like that.”

The loss was estimated at $8,000 but the loss was covered by insurance, according to Fuhrman.

Haysville had four trucks and 12 firefighters on the scene for more than nine hours. Dubois assisted with the tanker and three firefighters.

The Dubois County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.

There were no injuries.