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Firefighters are still investigating the cause of a hay fire in West Haven. It started overnight and has been burning throughout the day on Gibson's Green Acres farm.
This is a big loss for the owner; the early estimate is a half million dollars in damage. Ron Gibson, the co-owner of Gibson's Green Acres Farm, said, "We work really hard, and there's our summer's work going up in flames. So, there's a lot of money burning there. It's sad."
Ted Black, the Weber County fire marshal, said, "Oh half a million dollars they've lost. The building's destroyed, the cover for the hay."
The fire broke out just after midnight. Weber County Fire responded with two engines. They tried to put the blaze out, but at the request of the farmer, they are letting it burn itself out. "To put it out is very difficult. You have to take it, spread it, spray water on it. It's costly for the farmer, and it's cumbersome," Black explained.
No animals were hurt, but the fire destroyed the barn and a lot of hay, which has doubled in price since last year.
"We lost some good feed here today, and it's gonna be a challenge to find anything close to that quality," Gibson said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but some signs point to a natural burn. "If the hay has any moisture in it or has too much moisture in it when it's put up, it will decompose. As that decomposition takes place, it creates heat. That heat can lead to a fire," Black said.
Investigators will also look into arson as a possibility.
"We're pretty suspicious of how it started, just because this hay's been here for 80 days, 85 days. Normally if you're gonna have a problem like this, it's within the first 45 days," Gibson said.
The good news is, the farm is insured.
The farm produces 7,500 gallons of milk a day, which goes to the Dannon Yogurt plant in South Jordan.
E-mail: ngonzales @ksl.com
