Sheldon, Iowa — After a concerned citizen contacted Sheldon Fire Chief Brad Hindt and Hindt and Lyle Frohwein with the City of Sheldon investigated, the Sheldon Fire Company was called out for a fire at the Sheldon Tree Dump on Friday, January 24, 2025.
The tree dump is just north of the city limits on Monroe Avenue, which is Washington Avenue in town.
According to Hindt, the page went out at about 1:00 p.m.
The chief says the fire department saw the tree pile on fire as they approached the scene. He says they set up master streams to contain the fire and keep it from spreading. ID Excavating was called and they dug two trenches around the fire to make a firebreak.
Hindt says no injuries were reported.
Sheldon firefighters were assisted by the Sanborn and Ashton Fire Departments, who both brought water to the scene.
He says the cause of the fire is undetermined.
Chief Hindt reports that the fire burned a 200 by 200 by 20-foot pile of trees and limbs .
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for about four and a half hours.
Hindt advises that the fire will most likely burn for the next several days. Smoke may be visible, and depending on the direction of the wind, a smokey smell may be noticeable.
Hindt says the city does not burn the pile but has a contractor that comes a couple of times a year to grind up and recycle the trees. He says about 25 firefighters were on the scene. The City of Sheldon has closed the tree dump until further notice.
