Rock Valley, Iowa — A hay barn and all its contents was destroyed in a fire on Thursday, February 18, 2016 on the Iowa side of the Big Sioux River, near Hudson, SD.
According to Rock Valley Fire Chief Brent Eshuis, and Hudson Fire Chief Jeff Cole, about 4:40 AM, the departments were called to the report of hay barn fire at Dick Jansma’s place at 3289 Chestnut Avenue, seven miles west and two miles south of Rock Valley or a mile east and three miles north of Hudson on K-18.
The chiefs say the fire departments saw the 40-foot by 60-foot hay barn fully engulfed as they approached the scene. They say the roof appeared ready to collapse. They say they protected the surrounding structures while farmers came with payloaders and an excavator and peeled tin off the building. They say they piled up and then pulled apart the hay and cornstalk bales and pushed them into a field to extinguish the fire.
Eshuis says no injuries were reported.
The fire departments were assisted by the Inwood Fire Department. The chief says they were called for water.
The chiefs say the cause of the fire is unknown at this time, however, there is no electricity to the building.
They say fire crews were on scene until 7:05 AM.
