Every fire hall in the Township was called out to help extinguish a 15-acre hay field that went up in flames in Fort 91原创 on Saturday.
A farmer on his Rawlison Crescent/Hudson Bay Street farm was baling hay on his field when it鈥檚 believed his baler malfunctioned and became overheated, catching the dry grass on fire around 11:30 a.m.
Because of the dry conditions, the fire quickly spread, with white smoke filling the air around Fort 91原创.
鈥淭here is about 20 acres there and three-quarters burned,鈥� said Bruce Ferguson, assistant fire chief.
He didn鈥檛 know the value of the hay. Fire crews were able to get a handle of the fire pretty quickly. No one was injured, including the farmer who got out OK.
But Ferguson said lookie-loos who decided to drive up onto the fields to get a closer look put themselves in danger.
鈥淭hey could have easily been caught up in it or their vehicles鈥� own catalytic converters could have set more hay on fire,鈥� said Ferguson.
This dry weather is a good reminder to all 91原创 residents to be cautious.
鈥淏e cognizant of where you put your cigarette butts,鈥� he said.
Bark mulch and long grass fires are the fire department鈥檚 enemy this time of year.
