Tuesday morning hay bale fire sends smoke into air across East Valley

PHOENIX – A hay bale fire at a Mesa dairy sent heavy smoke into the air across the East Valley early Tuesday, authorities said.

The blaze broke out Arizona Dairy Company near Sossaman and Elliot roads around 3:30 a.m., Rural Metro Fire said in an email.

Rural Metro said the suspected cause is spontaneous combustion.

About 15-20 firefighters contained the blaze to a two-story-high stack of about 500 bales, each weighing about 1,000 pounds, Rural Metro said.

Farm workers helped out by using heavy equipment to move the bales to where the flames couldn’t spread.

The hay is expected to burn for several days, which could impact air quality in Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert.

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