Emergency responders battling large hay bale fire in Painter

Emergency responders were called to a large hay bale fire at the corner of Boggs and Elmore Road in Painter Thursday morning. Multiple fire companies were dispatched at 10:08 AM.

The fire, which was fully engulfed, spread across the field, onto the road, and into the woods to the south of the blaze. According to Robbie Lewis with the Department of Forestry, crews used a “Firedozer” to cut a trench in the woods to contain the fire. The surrounding farmland was also tilled to help prevent further spread.

The fire is expected to burn for several weeks. A large plume of smoke from the blaze is visible for miles. Investigators are not yet sure how it was started.