Fire destroys tractor, haystack near Ephrata

EPHRATA — A fire Wednesday afternoon in the 2400 block of Road 7 Northwest, south of Ephrata, destroyed a tractor and a haystack.

The fire was reported about 2 p.m., said Casey McDonnell, battalion chief for Grant County Fire District 13.

“It definitely started with the tractor,” McDonnell said of the fire.

Witnesses said the tractor’s battery exploded, he said.

Fire District 13 Chief Jim Stucky said strong wind blew embers from the tractor across the road and set fire to the 150-ton haystack. The wind also carried the fire to a stack of cattle bedding about 200 yards away, according to GCFD 13.

The tractor and the haystack were total losses, Stucky said.

Eight firefighters from GCFD 13 responded and were aided by the Ephrata Fire Department. Employees at a dairy used loaders to contain the fire in the cattle bedding.

Firefighters were on the scene about four hours, McDonnell said.