The stack of 40 bales of hay, which caught fire on April 7, had to be knocked down and pulled apart. While the haystack was located near a power pole and line, there was only minimal damage to the pole.
Missoula Rural, East Missoula and Potomac/Greenough firefighters together with the DNRC fire crew hosing down and opening bales after the main flames were extinguished April 7.
POTOMAC – Just after 5:30 p.m., April 7, 10 fire engines responded to a hay fire in the lower Blackfoot Valley north of Highway 200. No structures were lost and no one was injured, however, the homeowner lost 40, 800 pound round bales of hay. This was the fourth human-caused wildland fire Greenough/Potomac Volunteer Fire Department has responded to since April 3.
Greenough/Potomac Fire Chief Ryan Hall said they were dispatched a minute after the call came in at 5:36 p.m. on Wednesday for a haystack on fire. A person living at the house was burning grass near the haystack. The upslope, afternoon winds pushed the fire into the haystack and it ignited. While buildings were not immediately threatened, the haystack was located near a power pole.
Since the fire was in Missoula Rural's fire protection area, they assumed command and sent two apparatus. They arrived on scene in 14 minutes.
Offering mutual aid, Greenough/Potomac responded with five apparatus. East Missoula also sent two fire engines including their newest engine in the fleet, a Type III engine with a Type I pump. Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation also sent one of their wildland engines out of Missoula.
Hall said they needed a lot of water and manpower to pull apart the bales and put the fire out. Missoula Rural brought a 300-gallon per minute float-a-pump that they were able to utilize in a nearby pond eliminating the need to shuttle water with a tender. The homeowner used a front-end loader on a tractor to help break apart the hay bales so the firefighters could extinguish them. Firefighters also applied foam to ensure the fire would not resurface since hay fires are prone to smoldering.
The haystack was near a power line and pole. Missoula Electric arrived on scene as well. There was no damage to the power line and minimal damage to the power pole.
"It was just far enough away from structures that there was no immediate threat," Hall said. "But had that thing spread any farther or been any closer to a structure, it may have been another story."
The fire was considered out at 8:06 p.m. Wednesday evening. The homeowners and DNRC firefighters regularly patrolled it.
"Things went well between the three fire departments," Hall said.
Monday morning, April 12 the homeowners noticed smoke coming out of some hay. The water caused fermentation within the bales creating heat and smoke. They spread out all the remaining hay and have been turning it. Tuesday morning, it was 19 degrees and the hay was covered in frost. There were still some areas warm enough to melt the frost.
Hall said Greenough/Potomac does not charge for a response. However, DNRC can charge for a response if someone is a repeat offender, is extremely negligent or apathetic to the law
Hall said they have responded to three other wildland fire calls since April 3 when residents in Potomac Valley were burning and their burns got out of control. The largest spread to nearly 17 acres.
Hall had several recommendations for area residents this spring:
• Get a burn permit.
• Activate it on the day of your burn.
• Don't burn on windy days.
• Burn as early in the morning as possible to avoid the afternoon winds.
• Make sure to have a water source and hand tools available.
• Don't light a bigger area that you can handle with the people you have available to help. The bigger your burn, the more people should be there and the more water needs to be available.
For more information about burn permits or conditions visit mfpa.org
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