Fire claims combine

-Michael Hubert photo

Fire crews responded to a combine and field fire Monday at 6:45 p.m. at the Craig Gilchrist place in the Union Flat area. Colfax responded with two trucks, Steptoe with two trucks, Diamond with one and Albion with four.

For unknown reasons a fire started in the John Deere combine which was completely destroyed by the blaze. The fire spread to some of the surrounding standing grain, but a tractor circling and tilling the ground helped keep it from spreading. It was the first day of harvest for Gilchrist.