CAHNRS and WSU Extension

Marketing and News Services

October 9, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Terence L. Day - 509/335-2806 (office)
509/334-1619 (Home)

Correction -- Hay Fire Costly at WSU

EDITORS: Our apologies. An earlier news release this morning contained incorrect information. The fire was in a hay storage building off of Country Club Road, NOT Grimes Way. This version corrects that error and adds the fact that the fire started while a crew was unloading hay.

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Pullman fire officials and Washington State University today were investigating a fire Friday afternoon that could cost WSU nearly $600,000.

David Dittmer, WSU facilities operations, said it could cost $500,000 to replace a concrete hay barn off of Country Club Road, southwest of Pullman. An estimated 150 tons of hay valued at $13,000 also was lost, along with a semi truck owned by F. R. Farms, Star Buck, and a university owned front end loader.

No injuries to the hay crew, or fire fighters were reported.

Richard Dragoo, Pullman Fire Department, said workers reported a spark from the exhaust of a front end loader being used to unload the truck caught a bale on fire.

The Pullman Fire Department is in charge of the investigation.

Dittmer said the university is investigating whether any of the structure is salvageable.

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