Firefighters from Joseph, Enterprise, the Oregon Department of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service converged on a large fire that consumed a pair of hay sheds filled with hundreds of bales of hay Tuesday, Oct. 14.
The blaze on Tucker Down Road in rural Joseph was first spotted by ODF personnel returning from an assignment in Imnaha. Before long, the orange glow could be seen for more than a mile and the dark smoke was visible for many miles.The cause is undetermined but possibly was moist hay that has been known to heat up as it dries and can ignite spontaneously.
Firefighters kept the fire from spreading, but a blaze burning inside hay bales couldn't possibly be extinguished from the exterior, so the blaze was left to burn itself out.
To supply water, water tenders shuttled from Joseph to the fire, dumping water into a portable tank that then was pumped to fire hoses. Additional water was drafted from a nearby irrigation ditch.
