Multiple fire departments were dispatched Friday afternoon in response to a large bale fire at a farm property east of Willey. The Glidden and Ralston Fire Department were the first to respond to the reported blaze in the 26000 block of 260th Street around 3:30 p.m. At approximately 4:15 p.m., additional tankers from the Carroll and Dedham Fire Departments were requested to help haul water to the scene. Firefighters used tractors and backhoes to break apart dozens of bales to access the many hot spots spread throughout. Over 100 bales were destroyed in the blaze. Glidden Fire Chief, Tom Weber, says it is unlikely they will ever know for certain how the fire started. Firefighters were on scene for nearly six hours. An estimated 85,000 gallons of water was hauled from the Schumacher gravel pits to extinguish the blaze.
