Posts Tagged large hay barn destroyed by fire in Union IL

5th Alarm fire in Woodstock, 11-26-13 (more)

From the Northwest Herald:

Barn fire near Woodstock ignited by hay ‘spontaneously combusting’

Crews Wednesday still were monitoring the charred remains of a barn near Woodstock that caught fire Tuesday night by hay spontaneously combusting, according to the Woodstock Fire Rescue Department.

A total of 16 area departments from as far as Walworth, Wis., were called at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to assist with the blaze at 16812 Kunde Road in an unincorporated area of McHenry County.

Firefighters arrived to find a 40-foot-tall, 150-foot-wide barn on fire in the rural area that borders Woodstock and Union. No one was in the barn, and several animals escaped safely, although not all are accounted for.

The barn contained as many as eight sheep, about a dozen roosters and chickens, 750 bales of hay weighing 100 pounds each, and machinery, Deputy Chief Terry Menzel said.

Crews had the fire contained to the T-shaped barn by 8:30 p.m. More than half of the departments were called to the scene to help provide water because no fire hydrants were near the residence, Capt. Brendan Parker said. Firefighters remained on the scene Wednesday as the controlled-burn was expected to last another 24 hours.

Firefighters also brought an excavator to the scene to pull apart the bales of hay and put out the fire quicker. The contents in the barn destroyed due to the fire cost about $75,000.

Investigators later determined the fire ignited from wet and dry hay – more than six weeks old – spontaneously combusting, Menzel said.

No one was injured during the incident.

 

Barn near Woodstock catches fire for second time

Firefighters had to return Thursday morning to a property where a barn caught fire for a second blaze, the Woodstock Fire Rescue District said.

At 2:24 a.m., firefighters were called to another barn at 16812 Kunde Road in unincorporated McHenry County near Woodstock by the property owner.

The cause of the second fire is under investigation, but it is believed winds changed directions during the night and ignited an ember from a large amount of hay, according to a fire district news release.

The hay had been moved because of the previous fire, which is believed to have been caused by spontaneous combustion.

Because there are no hydrants in the area, Woodstock called crews from Marengo, McHenry Township, Union, Harvard, Huntley, Fox Lake, Cary, Nunda Rural, Hebron and the Emergency Management Agency.

 thanks Scott

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5th Alarm fire in Woodstock, 11-26-13

This from Tyler Tobolt:

Tonight (Nov, 26th, 2013) Woodstock FD was dispatched to a possible barn fire at 16812 Kunde Road in Union. Units arrived with a fully involved hay barn. Command requested MABAS Box #5-73 to the 2nd Level at 6:40pm. Due: a Crystal Lake engine, a Marengo engine, a Union tanker, a McHenry tanker, a Cary tanker, a Harvard squad, a Wonder Lake squad, a Huntley RIT chief and engine, EMA and the Salvation Army. COQ: Fox Lake engine, Marengo EMS, Woodstock chief, and Nunda Rural tanker.
Shortly thereafter, command requested Box 5-73 to the 3rd Alarm at 6:48pm . Due: a Wauconda engine, the Nunda Rural tanker, a Hebron tanker, an Algonquin truck, a McHenry squad w/cascade, and a Harvard chief.
Around 7pm command upgraded to the 4th Alarm for tankers only which brought a Hampshire tanker, a Spring Grove tanker, a Fox River Grove tanker and a Richmond tanker. Crews were battling a large hay barn that was fully engulfed with some exposure. All tankers operated supplying multiple lines. About 1.5 hours into the incident, command requested Box 5-73 to the 5th Alarm for engines only which brought a Rutland-Dundee engine and an engine from Walworth, WI. The MABAS Box was struck out around 9pm All crews were still working at that time.
Thanks, Tyler.
5-Alarm fire destroys barn in Union IL Woodstock Fire Rescue District

Tyler Tobolt photo

5-Alarm fire destroys barn in Union IL Woodstock Fire Rescue District

Tyler Tobolt photo

5-Alarm fire destroys barn in Union IL Woodstock Fire Rescue District

Tyler Tobolt photo

5-Alarm fire destroys barn in Union IL Woodstock Fire Rescue District

Tyler Tobolt photo

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