(KIWA Staff Photo - AI Enhanced)Lester, Iowa — The Lester Fire Department was called out on Monday, October 12, 2026.
According to Lester Fire Chief Toby Metzger, at about 11:35 a.m., the Lester Fire Department was called to the report of cornstalks on fire near 1500 Elmwood Avenue, two miles east of Lester.
When they got there, the chief says the fire department saw the cornstalks on fire. He says those on the place had been cleaning up and had lit a brush pile on fire a few days ago. In Monday’s strong winds, the fire rekindled and got into some combined corn stalks in a field.
Metzger says no injuries were reported.
He says between their efforts and a neighbor who showed up with a tractor and disk, they were able to get the fire out.
Chief Metzger reports that the damage was minimal to anything of value.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for about 45 minutes.
Other fire chiefs around the area are reminding people that even with the rain we had last month, it’s harvest season, and fires can start quickly. They also remind people to call in their controlled burns before they start them so that firefighters don’t have to leave their jobs or families to respond to an emergency call.
