The Albert Van Belle family farm lost 21 acres of standing corn to a field fire Tuesday, Oct. 6, after a spark from a cornstalk baler caught a gust of wind.
Allyson Van Belle said the field caught fire in an instant, and her husband, Nick Van Belle, and his family found themselves disking under corn that was about to be harvested.
“It was a pretty sickening feeling for them to do that,” Van Belle said.
In addition to their own disk, she said five other neighbors moved into the field with their tractors and disks to contain the spread of the fire.
The field, located two miles north of Beaver Creek and a half mile west, is between two Van Belle acreages – Albert Van Belle’s, which has a hog confinement setup, and Todd Van Belle’s on the other side.
They said they’re grateful no one was injured and that their homes and property were spared.
The Van Belle field fire was one of several reported in the past week when dry conditions, warm temperatures and gusty winds combined to create fire hazards.
The DNR had issued a red flag warning for Rock County and southwest Minnesota, and a burning ban remains in effect for the area.
A Sunday night shower — about one-tenth of an inch — offered a slight reprieve from the fire danger. Many Rock County farmers are wrapping up their 2020 harvest earlier than usual, due to the drought.