Haystack fire will continue through the night

(3 p.m. Monday)

Lima and Sons Dairy owner Dean Lima told The Sentinel that the early afternoon hayfire that destroyed 3,000 tons of hay is expected to burn through the night. Kings County firefighters are expected to remain on the scene for the rest of today and through the night as the fire continues to burn its way through $750,000 worth of hay, Lima said.

“We were able to salvage some of the hay on the ends, but once the winds hit it, the fire just spread too fast,” Lima said.

Work is expected to continue on the dairy despite the ongoing fire.

(2:11 p.m. Monday)

Thick smoke trailed out of rural Kings County this morning as a haystack caught fire at Lima & Son Dairy, near the intersection of 23rd Avenue and Grangeville Boulevard. Kings County firefighters were called to the scene at 11:46 a.m. and were still in the area trying to contain the blaze at 1 p.m.

Battalion Chief Frank Rohan said that only a single haystack caught on fire, presumably due to spontaneous combustion. This is a fairly common cause of haystack fires, he said.

"We're just trying to protect the silage and the other haystack at this point," Rohan said at the scene.

Firefighters were also working to prevent a metal pole barn situated between the two haystacks from getting damaged by the flames.

(Check back for more details and see Tuesday's Sentinel)