A large bale fire at a rural Maurice farm Wednesday afternoon brought firefighters and emergency personnel from communities across Sioux County and beyond.
The Maurice Fire Department says crews were dispatched at approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday to a report of about 1,400 round corn stalk bales on fire.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the large bale pile. Because of the size of the fire and the amount of water needed, Maurice requested mutual aid from numerous area departments.
The Sioux Center Fire Department responded with its ladder truck and a tanker. Tankers and other firefighting resources were also sent from Alton, Le Mars, Granville, Hawarden, Hospers, Hull, Ireton, Orange City and Rock Valley.
Ambulance crews from Sioux Center, Ireton, Hawarden and Orange City responded to provide medical assistance and firefighter rehabilitation during the incident. Sioux County Emergency Management and the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office also assisted at the scene.
Crews spent several hours bringing the fire under control and dealing with the large amount of burning material. According to the Maurice Fire Department, all responding units were back in service at approximately 9 p.m., about six hours after the initial call.
One firefighter was transported to a local hospital for a heat-related injury. No additional information about the firefighter’s condition was included in the release.
The Maurice Fire Department thanked the fire departments, EMS agencies, dispatchers, and others who assisted with the response.
