Combines are blamed for starting three fires in the Kinmundy-Alma Fire Protection District over the weekend. A Sunday fire ended up burning 20 acres of standing soybeans and another 20 acres of standing corn before being brought under control. Kinmundy-Alma Fire Chief Kevin Day says the fire began when Randy Engle was harvesting in a field off the Gray Road southeast of Kinmundy. The combine apparently picked up a piece of metal, creating sparks that started six fires along a half mile path. The wind fueled fire quickly moved to land farmed by Gary Conant, which sustained most of the damage. Day reports the combine escaped damage. Firemen were on the scene for about two and a half hours beginning around 2:20 Sunday afternoon. Farina Fireman provided mutual aide, bringing a pumper truck to the scene. The other two fires were late Friday afternoon. Some bean dust on a combine being driven by Gary Conant in a field off the Kinmundy Road in rural Alma caught fire due to a small fuel leak. There was no damage to the combine and the fire did not spread to the field. A combine on the Robb Farms off the Press Road north of Kinmundy received minor damage after picking up a piece of metal and causing sparks. The fire on the combine went out on its own. Several spot fires started in the field caused no serious damage. - http://goo.gl/o1bAx
