STUBBORN HAY FIRE

Laurel Locks Farm hay bale fire takes 5 hours to extinguish

NORTH COVENTRY >> A smoky hay bale fire at Laurel Locks Farms closed Route 724 for hours and kept fire crews from four counties working hard on Labor Day.

The call came in about 2:15 Monday, Sept. 7, according to North Coventry Fire Marshal Ron Comtois. No injuries were reported. Ironically, the fire seems to have been caused by too much water, Comtois said.

“With all the rain we’ve had, the hay becomes saturated and gets deep into the pile where it starts to ferment. Fermentation causes heat and that heat builds up, dries out the hay and it can ignite,” Comtois explained.

In other words — sponta

neous combustion.

The hay bales were piled about 20 feet high, 30 feet wide in a row about 100 feet long, he said.

Heavy equipment had to be used to pull the hay bale pile apart and spread it out so that firefighters could get to the internal portions with water.

And that’s why it took about five hours to completely extinguish, Comtois said.

He estimated fire 15 or 16 companies from Berks, Chester, Montgomery and Lancaster counties were all on scene at different times fighting the fire, as well as the East Penn Goodwill food truck to feed the hungry firefighters.

“Tanker trucks were going back and forth to the firehouse to fill up with water,” he said, due to the fact that there are no fire hydrants near the farm.

Patricia Harbach, the photographer for the Norco Fire Company, was on the scene and said the fire “was pretty intense. On route 724 there was smoke everywhere,” she said.

Attempts to each personnel at Laurel Locks Farm Tuesday were unsuccessful.

PATRICIA HARBACH — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Crews work to extinguish a smoldering hay bale fire at Lauren Locks Farm off Route 724in North Coventry.

FRANK WARNER — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Smoke billows from the hay bale fire at Lauren Locks Farm that caught fire on Labor Day.

PATRICIA HARBACH — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Heavy equipment was used to tear the bales apart so firefighters could get at the internal flames.

FRANK WARNER — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Firefighters survey the scope of the hay bale fire at Lauren Locks Farms Monday.

PATRICIA HARBACH — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Tankers ferried water back and forth between the Laurel Locks Farm and the Norco Firehouse.

PATRICIA HARBACH — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP A small lick of flame can be seen at the center of this smoldering hay bale.

PATRICIA HARBACH — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Firefighters even used post hole diggers to break apart the hay bales.