Inwood, Iowa — Five hundred large bales were destroyed in a fire that six area fire departments fought on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, near Inwood.
According to Inwood Fire Chief Troy Van Beek, about 10:15 a.m., the Inwood Fire Department was called to the report of a hay barn on fire at 2663 Buchanan Avenue, two miles west and two and a half south of Inwood.
The chief says the fire department saw a steel Quonset building with large round bales inside on fire as they approached the scene. Most of the bales were cornstalk bales, says Van Beek. He says they used water to keep the building cool, and payloaders to haul the bales outside, where crews spread them out in a field and left them to burn.
Van Beek says no injuries were reported.
The fire department was assisted by the Canton, Fairview, Hudson, Rock Valley, and Larchwood fire departments.
He says the cause of the fire is undetermined.
Chief Van Beek reports that all the bales were totaled and the building was damaged.
He says the 44 firefighters who responded were on the scene for five hours.
