Quick action by farmer and fire department prevents barn fire.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

VICTORY TOWNSHIP — Burke Larsen woke up this morning, made himself a cup of coffee and looked out over his farm, as he does most mornings. He noticed a small puff of smoke, or dew, coming from the eaves of one of his barns.

“I looked out and it just didn’t look right,” he said. “I looked again and it was gone and I knew it was smoke.” Larsen called 911 and then went out to the barn to discover hay bales on fire.

“I didn’t want to move those hay bales until I could get the fire department here so I started moving equipment out of the barn.”

Scottville and Hamlin fire departments were dispatched to the farm in the 300 block of West Sugar Grove Road about 6:40 a.m. Scottville Fire Chief Dale Larr was the first on the scene and he concurred with Larsen that moving the bails would get oxygen on them and create more fire.

“Once the first truck arrived we started spraying above the bails to put some moisture on them, then Burke started moving them out,” Larr said. “I think some of the bails were wet when they were put in the barn and also there is a little space in the walls of the barn which created an airflow. Luckily we were able to get this knocked down before it became a serious issue.”

“The good Lord was looking out for us today,” Larsen said. “I am very thankful for the fire departments and everything they do. These guys have a full day ahead of them and here they are helping us.”