Matlock, Iowa — A feed shed and some ground hay was damaged in a fire on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, near Matlock.
According to Matlock Fire Chief Bruce Stegeman, about 7:30 a.m., the Matlock Fire Department was called to the report of a feed shed fire at 3043 Lily Avenue, two and a half miles south of the east edge of Matlock.
The chief says the fire department saw lots of smoke as they approached the scene. He says they used water to fight the fire. Stegeman says the farmer told him he had ground 40 bales of hay the day before, and noticed the smoldering in the morning. According to Stegeman, the farmer also helped by removing the smoldering ground hay from the building with a payloader and spread it out so it could be extinguished.
Stegeman says no injuries were reported.
The fire department was assisted by the Boyden and Sheldon fire departments. He says their efforts were hampered just a little by the fact that Matlock’s tanker was out for repair.
He says the cause of the fire appeared to be spontaneous combustion due to spoilage.
Chief Stegeman reports that they had to cut a hole in the building, and there was some heat damage by the door openings, but it is a steel building and there were no real flames, so structural damage was minimal. About two-thirds of the hay was probably destroyed, says Stegeman.
He says the firefighters who responded were on scene for two and a half to three hours.
