Emporia and Americus firefighters responded to a reported hay baler fire just outside of Emporia Monday afternoon.
Fire crews were called to Road 230 and H5, five miles northwest of Emporia, shortly after 4 pm. Upon arriving, crews found a number of hay bales and large section of grass on fire according to Emporia Fire Captain Jesse Taylor.
Crews managed to extinguish the fire and after an initial investigation it was determined that a mechanical issue on the baler had caught several bales on fire. Taylor says the bales were in the process of being unloaded when they caught fire and were placed on the ground which ignited the grass.
In total, five round bales burned and an acre of grass was scorched as a result of the fire. Thankfully, no injuries were reported and the baler only suffered minor damage from the flames.
