50 firefighters battle blaze in soybean field

10/22/2007

KANSAS, Ohio - A spark from an agricultural harvesting machine started a blaze yesterday that burned off 10 acres of soybeans in a field fire that took 50 firefighters about 90 minutes to bring under control in southwestern Sandusky County, authorities said.

The fire in the middle of a 50-acre field on County Road 36, north of County Road 13, in Scott Township, destroyed about $4,000 worth of soybeans, Kansas Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Jim Reinhart estimated.

Jeff Parks, who is renting the field, was operating the combine, which was not damaged, the chief said.

No one was hurt, but 30 to 35-mph winds made the fire hard to control and firefighters hauled 3,500 gallons of water to the field, the chief said.

Firefighters from six departments - Helena, Bettsville, Gibsonburg, Old Fort, and Ballville as well as Kansas - were called to the blaze, which was reported shortly after 1:30 p.m.

The last firefighters left the scene at 4:15 p.m., Chief Reinhart said.