At approximately 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, the Glenboro South Cypress River Fire Department (GSCFD) was dispatched to the east side of Glenboro along Highway 5, where flames were engulfing a large stack of oat straw bales. GSCFD Deputy Fire Chief Kirby Wallis commented that the bales were already consumed by the time they arrived, so the main priority was to prevent the flames from reaching a nearby hydro line and farm equipment belonging to Hamco Farms.
Since the fire was in an open field with no nearby structures, the ambulance service did not need to be dispatched. The Cypress River Fire Department assisted on the scene, providing additional water, and Manitoba Hydro attended to protect the hydro lines by applying foam. Although the evening was calm with little to no wind, firefighters remained on site until 4 p.m. the following day to ensure containment of the flames.
“It was a long night, but we worked in shifts of six to seven firefighters,” said Deputy Wallis. “The first shift was from the time of the call until a relief crew came in around 11 p.m. They stayed until 6 a.m., when the initial crew took over until the site was deemed safe and contained at 4 p.m.” He added that a west wind picked up on Sunday afternoon, fortunately carrying the smoke away from town.
Larissa Hamilton of Hamco Farms confirmed that approximately 2,000 oat straw bales, which had been pre-sold, were lost in the flames. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but Hamilton noted that the RCMP are investigating. “It isn’t a call you want to get, but at the end of the day, it is just bales and money.”
Photo Caption: Anyone looking east from Glenboro on Saturday night thought the sun was coming up early as the sky was glowing from the flames from 2000 straw bales that caught fire and burned for over 20 hours. PHOTO BY SUZANNE PADDOCK
