Rock Valley, Iowa — Five fire departments were called out to a fire on Monday, September 7, 2020, near Rock Valley.
According to Rock Valley Fire Chief Brent Eshuis, about 5:30 p.m., the Rock Valley Fire Department was called to the report of a silage pile fire at 2164 350th Street, two miles west and four south of Rock Valley.
The chief says the fire department saw lots of black smoke could be seen from a couple of miles out as they approached the scene.
He says the cause is undetermined, but since the silage pile was only burning on the top, they do not think it was spontaneous combustion from decomposing silage. He says they suspect perhaps embers from a burning pile landed on it.
Part of the pile was covered with a tarp and old tires, and those were burning too, producing the black smoke, says Eshuis.
He says no injuries were reported.
The fire department was assisted by firefighters from Sioux Center, Hull, and Ireton, Iowa and Hudson, South Dakota.
Chief Eshuis reports that the top layer of silage, some tarp, and some tires were destroyed in the fire.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for roughly about an hour and a half.
