A grass fire burned more than 100 acres of hay field and more than 50 large hay bales near the town of Lane in Franklin County. Fire Marshal Alan Radcliffe says 30 volunteer firefighters from five rural fire departments worked to extinguish Tuesday afternoon's blaze. Radcliffe says a farmer was baling hay when the baler malfunctioned and caught fire, which spread to the hay field. It was the second large grass fire in Franklin County in two weeks. Last week, a fire started by fireworks burned several acres of grass, crop land, and 30 large hay bales near Ottawa. Although Franklin County has a burn ban in place, Radcliffe says the high heat and tinder-dry conditions mean that accidental fires can quickly get out of control.
Damage resulting from Tuesday's fire was estimated at around $10,000.