Hay area fire toll: barn, horse, crops

A barn was destroyed and a horse died Monday evening in a fire near Hay. No one was injured but the fire also burned crops and pasture land. Cause of the fire was believed to be sparks from power lines which slapped together when wind gusts hit.

The barn was on the David McIntosh place. The horse was in a pen next to the barn.

The ranch house and two other horses were saved by the volunteer firefighters.

District 8 volunteer Eric Startin said the fire truck from Hay began fighting the fire about 6:30 p.m. and the call was officially out at 6:54 p.m. He said the fire probably began about 6 p.m. Firefighters were back in service about midnight, he said.

The fire burned between 1,000 to 1,500 acres of CRP, pasture, standing wheat, fence and power poles. The fire spread to two places adjoining the McIntosh ranch.

The fire was so hot that it melted the vinyl siding on one side of the house, Startin said. He also said that firefighters had a very difficult time saving the house because of the fury of the fire.

Firefighters had a hard time fighting the blaze because of 15 to 20 mph winds fanning flames.

He said the conditions of the dry-growth CRP made conditions very hazardous.

Startin said that 30 firefighters from District 8 responded to the fire along with five fire trucks, five tankers, 30 neighbors, water trucks from McGregor’s and Four Star.

“Two farmers with tractors and discs made a huge difference,” he said.

“I hope we don’t have another huge fire,” he said. “We were very fortunate this time.”