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Ainsworth Star-Journal Photo -
Photo by Ann Fiala
Normally when the fire department is called to a bale fire, the firemen are able to use a tractor and loader to spread the bales out so the fire can be controlled or put out...not so in this case.
The Ainsworth Fire Department was called to a hay trailer fire on at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 5th just south of Keller Park on Highway 183.
Buddy Tarrell of Bassett was southbound on Highway 183 hauling 34 hay bales near Keller Park when he noticed the bales were on fire. He was able to pull the trailer to the top of the hill and find a flat spot to unhook the trailer.
Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said when the firemen got to the blaze all 34 bales on the trailer were burning.
Fiala’s first idea was to tip the trailer over into the road ditch so firemen could spread the bales out and allow them to burn. That idea was shelved due to the proximity to an electrical pole.
His next idea was to get a front end loader and push the bales off the trailer. To that end, Fiala contacted the State of Nebraska and Frontier Diesel.
The State of Nebraska sent a front end loader from Ainsworth and Bruce Dannatt brought out an excavator. Between the two pieces of equipment, the bales were taken off the trailer and spread on a field owned by Steve Bartak and allowed to burn.
The trailer and bales were considered a total loss. Firemen were at the scene until 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
