Spontaneous Combustion of Hay Destroys Barn in Eaton

It happens all too frequently, Central New York barns fires caused by the spontaneous combustion in hay bales. A Central New York farmer lost all of their hay and the barn in a recent fire of the same origin. And the Eaton Fire Department says residents will see smoke for the next few days.

The EFD received several calls Sunday night at around 7 about the barn fire at the corner of Carey and River Roads.  Eaton was assisted by 4 other departments; Hamilton, Earlville, Munnsville and Madison with all providing tankers to help battle the blaze. Despite their best efforts, crews were unable to contain the blaze. Once the barn was considered a total loss, they decided to let the fire burn itself out.

Crews stayed at the scene for fire watch and the farmer continues to attend to the hay as it continues to smolder. It's hard to get your head around what causes these fires, but it seems to happen frequently. The Extension office at Oklahoma State University explains what causes the combustion and shares some tips on how to prevent it from occurring in the video below.