LAYTON -- A fire that burned $35,000 worth of hay is one of four fires within 24 hours that firefighters are calling suspicious.
Firefighters arrived at about 1325 S. Weaver Drive, Layton, at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday. The fire consumed an estimated 250 tons in a stack of hay bales that stood about 14 feet high and 150 feet long by 50 feet wide, on property owned by Randy Weaver and Rulon Weaver, said Fire Battalion Chief Lonnie Adams.
Smoke from the fire could be seen for several miles.
"This is labor intensive," said Adams, a 30-year firefighter veteran.
Firefighters lucked out by having a fire hyrdant within 50 feet of the fire, Adams said. A subdivision near the site is lower than the sewer station. A sewer lift station with a fire hydrant was built near the subdivision and the Weaver property.
Firefighters got a water line between the burning haystack and farm equipment that was near the barn.
Three juveniles were in the area, but a policeman who questioned them told firefighters their mother sent them down to find out why there was so much smoke.
Adams said firefighters expected to be on the scene for several hours to make sure the fire was completely out. Layton brought at least three fire engines with nine firefighters and two chief officers to the scene.
The city also brought in three front-end loaders to help scatter the burning hay. Adams said when he first started as a firefighter, firefighters scattered burning haystacks by hand or with a pitchfork.
Layton Fire Chief Kevin Ward said firefighters responded to a fire Tuesday at Fresh Market on Fairfield Road where a stack of pallets was burning behind the store. Shortly after that, firefighters were called to a small grass fire a short distance away on Gordon Avenue.
Then at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday firefighters were called to another grass fire on the east side of Layton.
"We had an extremely quiet weekend," Ward said. "We're now entering the high fire-danger season, and that is causing us concern."
Ward said right now fire officials are not sure if the four fires are connected or just random occurrences.
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