No injuries were reported after a trailer hauling hay bales caught fire Sunday evening, near Red Oak. The Red Oak Fire Department reports they were dispatched to 260th Street and B Avenue at around 5:45-p.m., Sunday, for a report of a pickup hauling a load of hay bales that were on fire.

Upon arrival their arrival at the scene, the trailer of bales was fully engulfed in flames, with the trailer still attached to a 2000 GMC Sierra pickup. Red Oak Fire requested and received mutual aid from the Essex Fire Department. Local residents assisted through the use of farm equipment in the fire suppression efforts, as well as in the removal of the trailer from the truck. Additional assistance was provided by the Montgomery County Secondary Roads Department. The cause of the blaze was believed to be “Kinetic Heat Energy transferred to the load of hay bales.”

Nine bales of hay and the trailer were lost, while the pickup belonging to Parker Ridge Farms sustained minimal damage. The total loss was conservatively estimated at $5,200. Fire officials say they greatly appreciate the assistance provided by Essex Fire and local residents for helping during the event.