Hawarden, Iowa — About 50 cornstalk bales and a cornstalk field were burned in a fire on Saturday, April 6, 2024, near Hawarden.
According to Hawarden Fire Chief Duane Schiefen, at about 3:20 p.m., the Hawarden Fire Department was called to the report of a field fire near 1980 400th Street, four miles east and five north of Hawarden.
The chief says the fire department saw lots of smoke as they approached the scene. He says in addition to the firefighters’ efforts, farmers with disks and payloaders helped them disk firebreaks and move bales as needed. He says he wants to send the fire departments’ thanks to those who helped out.
Schiefen says no injuries were reported.
The fire department was assisted by firefighters from Akron; Alcester, SD; Hudson, SD; Ireton, Maurice, Sioux Center, and Rock Valley.
He says someone there had burned something the day before, and with the strong winds, it must have reignited and started the stalks on fire.
Chief Schiefen reports that about 50 stalk bales and the corn stubble burned.
He says the firefighters and others who responded were on the scene for an hour or so.
