Press play to see images of the incident. Photos by Steve Arneal
Buring bales shut down Hwy. 30
by Mary Le Arneal
posted 2/05/09
Tuesday, Feb. 3, Bob Helget of Omaha was driving his truck through North Bend on Highway 30 hauling 30 bales of hay when an oncoming trucker flashed his lights to stop him. Helget pulled over on Highway 30 across from Casey's General Store in North Bend to see the oncoming driver and another man run up to Helget's truck with fire extinguishers.
A customer walking into Casey's told manager Julie Loberg that the situation didn't look right and suggested she call the fire department. Loberg called 9-1-1 and the North Bend Fire Department was shortly on the scene.
"When he pulled over there was just smoke coming from the bales," Loberg said. "By the time the fire department was here there were flames coming from the bales."
Loberg said this all happened around noon and that the Morse Bluff Fire Department joined the scene shortly.
As the firemen fought the fire, others helped to save the cargo.
Tim Peters from Johnson Farm Equipment Co. came with a company fork lift to remove bales and Jerry Soukup was there with his tractor and Bill Swanebeck assisted with a skid loader.
Loberg said that she was concerned with the store gas supply.
"I was worried when they were were bringing the smoking bales over to the parking lot," Loberg said. "But they were watching them closely."
Eventually the fire was extinguished after causing a section of Highway 30 to close for several hours. Seventeen bales were lost, with the burning bales removed to the city dump.
Helget expressed appreciation for the action of all those helping save his truck and the remaining bales.
