LINGLE – After battling a structure fire that resulted in the destruction of Roy’s Cold Storage in Torrington, Lingle fire crews were called to a hay fire on Cemetery Road on the northeast side of town at 1:13 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Volunteers used heavy equipment – including tractors and loaders – to move bales not affected by the fire, while others doused the smoldering hay amid high winds.
Firefighters worked until 7 p.m. Saturday evening and returned Sunday to reassess the situation.
“We’ve got (the burning hay) piled up in a safe area,” Lingle Volunteer Fire Department Chief Kasey Bangerter said Saturday night. “(Our plan is to) let it burn as much as we can, then return Sunday to reassess what needs to be done depending on the wind.
“We did as much as we could,” he said. “There’s not a lot we can do when there is that much hay involved, besides just letting it burn and making sure it doesn’t spread.”
Bangerter said the blaze was likely due to a rock or piece of metal being fed through a hay grinder and causing a spark.
LVFD expressed appreciation for several assisting departments in a social-media post Saturday evening.
“A big thanks to Torrington, Fort Laramie, Veteran, Camp Guernsey and Yoder fire departments, who all assisted us on scene.”
