Firefighters Contain Bean Field Fire

Oskaloosa Firefighters used both "attack" units and a pumper truck to contain this fire Saturday afternoon

Oskaloosa, Iowa- At 12:59 PM Saturday afternoon, Oskaloosa Fire Fighters were called to a field fire at a property near the intersection of 260th Street and Hickory Ave. The property was owned by Lyle and Eileen Blom. Fire Fighters were on the scene at 1:12 PM. A large smoke cloud be seen as far away as University Park and points beyond. Three trucks were dispatched with all trucks returning to the station at 2:32 PM.

According to Fire Captain Tim Nance, the fire originated in a combine.  “It actually started in the combine. She [the owner] noticed that there was a fire in the combine and actually got the fire out. But, as she was driving out of the field she was causing fire, which the wind caught it. But she, actually, got the combine out of the fire and actually got the fire out on the combine.”

Nance continued, “The fire was going towards the house, which was our biggest concern, but we were able to get it out around the house so pretty much just beans burnt.” A neighboring farmer was able to help contain the fire using his chisel plow. “There was a neighboring farmer that had a chisel plow, and he was able to come in, chisel around. He actually went around the whole thing. He actually stopped the fire from going further into them beans.”

20 acres of beans were lost in the fire. Nance estimated that damage to the combine was around $500.