BEATRICE – Firefighters and equipment from six area departments remain on the scene through the afternoon at a hay shed fire, west of Beatrice.


The fire on the Dan and Lori Crawford farm about six miles west of Beatrice burned about 150 round bales of hay and was still burning at mid-afternoon.
Beatrice Rural Fire Chief Matt Langley says two excavators were being used to dig out the hay while the fire continued.


"We're having to cool down the excavators and looking for hotspots on the machines as they're digging through it. We've got another piece of heavy equipment coming in here."


Langley says fire officials were digging a couple of holes to bury the burning hay. He said the wind was causing the bales to burn for a very long time.
"On the north side of the tree line, there's a pasture that takes off to the north. So, we've got a couple of trucks sitting there to make sure no embers fly off and start something headed north."


The economic loss from the fire was not immediately known, but Langley says officials know what likely triggered the fire...the burning of some trash.
"Stirred just a little bit of it up, just to finish it out. One hay bale in close proximity to the building caught on fire first, and before they could get it away fast enough, it spread to the hay barn and took everything else."


The fire did not damage barns located north of the hay shed. Two nearby hay feeders caught fire.
"On the back side of the hay barn was an old dairy calving barn. It was attached, so that is also burned up."


A new metal building that houses a youth basketball floor and is also used for storage, was not damaged in he fire that broke out at about 9:15 a.m.
Langley says several departments have been involved in fighting the blaze and doing cleanup work at the scene.


"Odell, Diller, Dewitt, Pickrell, Plymouth....and Beatrice Rural."


There have been no reported injuries from the fire. Langley says firefighters were hoping to wrap up work at the scene by early evening.