Hay bales catch fire on US 33

The bales were visibly burning when the Racine Fire Department arrived on the scene. Photo by Madalyn Wood.

Fire fighters arrive and quickly move to put the flames out. Photo by Madalyn Wood.

Traffic attempted to continue driving past the fire fighters as they worked on extinguishing the fire. Photo by Madalyn Wood.

RACINE, Ohio – Hay bales on a trailer caught fire causing issues on US 33 on July 19, 2018.

The Racine Fire Department responded to US 33 near State Route 124 for a working fire on the trailer. Crews quickly worked to contain the fire. The Ohio Department of Transportation Southeastern OHio District 10 was called in with equipment to roll the bales off the trailer before the bales could be fully extinguished.

The driver managed to unhitch the trailer from the truck which had been pulling the trailer. The truck was moved a safe distance from the burning bales.

According to the Racine Fire Department, approximately 2,500 gallons of water was used to soak what was left of the bales. The bales were then loaded onto another trailer and removed from the roadway.

In addition to the fire department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Racine Marshal’s Office, and Meigs County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.