Metal grinder sparks haystack fire in Cedar City, officials say

Written by Jeff Richards
June 22, 2024
Cedar City firefighters and residents of the property work to contain a hay fire near 2000 West and 3000 North, Cedar City, Utah, June 22, 2024 | photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Firefighters in Cedar City extinguished a blaze that burned approximately 4.5 tons of hay on Saturday afternoon.

Cedar City firefighters and residents of the property work to contain a hay fire near 2000 West and 3000 North, Cedar City, Utah, June 22, 2024 | photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

At approximately 1 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to a report of a fire northwest of Cedar City, near 2000 West and 3000 North.

“A resident was grinding on an excavator bucket to make repairs,” Cedar City Fire Department Capt. Lowell Sorensen told Cedar City News. “Sparks caught the weeds on fire. The fire quickly spread to the haystack on the other side of the fence.”

Ultimately, the blaze burned or damaged a total of eight large standard hay bales, each weighing around 1,100 pounds, Sorensen said.

“Residents used garden hoses and on-site equipment to slow the spread of the fire,” he added.

A total of 13 Cedar City Fire Department firefighters, representing four fire trucks and one command vehicle responded, as did multiple Cedar City Police officers.

No injuries were reported. A small enclosed trailer did sustain some minor damage, Sorensen added.

This report is based on statements from fire officials and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!