FIREFIGHTERS were unable to save a shed and the 300 bales of hay inside it after a fire broke out on a Somerton property on Thursday night.
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Emergency services were called to the property on Menedebri Rd where they found the shed well alight.
Rural Fire Service officials told The Leader the shed and about 300 bales of hay inside were completely destroyed.
“The building was a loss as well as its contents,” RFS district officer Sean Barton said.
Mr Barton said crews were unable to get inside the shed to pull the bales out to assist in the firefighting operation.
“It was all too great of a risk,” he said.
“Firefighters worked to manage the exposure to the areas surrounding the scene and remained on scene to monitor the fire.”
At this stage, he said it’s believed the cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion caused by moisture.
“Unfortunately it wasn’t until the fire was well sustained that the alarm was raised,” Mr Barton said.
He said heavy rain this week had provided firefighters with a reprieve from worrying dry conditions experienced in early spring.
“It most certainly helped,” he said.
“We’ve still got a great deal of vegetation which will dry off but this rain as put a buffer in place for us for a couple of weeks.
“We can rest easy until the tension rises again.”
Mr Barton said with the region heading into dry storm season, the area had been “quite lucky” to receive a decent amount of rain.