Spontaneous combustion

Spontaneous combustion is believed to have sparked a fire that destroyed 500 tons of hay west of Columbus early Monday morning.
The haystack was reported on fire at 5:30 a.m. at the Eagle’s Nest Ranch on Highway 10. Columbus Fire Rescue (CFR) responded and reported that by 5:53 a.m., approximately 93 percent of the haystack was on fire, according to Stillwater County Sheriff’s Dispatch records.
Crews focused attention on preventing the spread of flames to the grass and nearby structures. CFR almost immediately requested mutual aid from Absarokee, which responded with two trucks. CFR Assistant Chief Nick Jacobs said the property owner assisted efforts by using heavy equipment to tear the stack apart.
Property loss was estimated by the landowner at about $55,000, said Jacobs.
The Montana Department of Transportation was contacted at 10:40 a.m. that smoke from the blaze was going across I-90, prompting MDOT to change signs to alert approaching traffic. By 6:26 p.m. all fire crews had left the scene and handed it back over to the landowner.
“It’s going to be smoking and smoldering for next few days at the least,” said Jacobs.

WEEKEND WEATHER
A reprieve from the hot, dry conditions was expected by today, with an 80 percent chance of preciption forecast for Thursday night and Friday, with highs in the low 70s, according to the National Weather Service.