Lightning ignites hay bale fire in Pueblo County

With all the rain the area has had lately, you wouldn’t think there’s anything dry enough to burn. But lightning found a covered supply of hay in northern Pueblo County that was kept dry by a tarp.

The Sheriff’s Office said lightning struck the hay Wednesday night, on private land just east of the Interstate 25 northbound rest area near the El Paso County line. The hay kept burning on Thursday and produced a visible smoke plume.

Because the area around the fire is muddy, the Sheriff’s Office said getting heavy firefighting equipment is difficult so the fire is being allowed to burn itself out. The fire poses no danger to the surrounding area, the Sheriff’s Office said.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the fire burned 32,000 hay bales worth an estimated $50,000.

A sign on a nearby message board alerted drivers to the fire.