Twenty-five agencies, including six from Brown County, were called to a hay fire Monday at an Oconto Falls dairy farm. Smoldering hay was reported in a storage shed at Valley Line Dairy, 8976 Sellen Lane, Oconto Falls, about 7 a.m.
“We had about 120 boots on the ground,” Oconto Falls Fire Chief Tim Magnin said. Included in that number was Troy Sellen, an Oconto Falls firefighter and co-owner of the dairy farm.
“He was wearing multiple hats,” Magnin said.
The third-generation dairy farm is owned by Troy and his wife, Patty, along with Troy’s parents, Jeff and Brenda Sellen.
Patty said she was overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, including local farmers, who brought feed for the herd, and Subway, which donated food platters. She also was appreciative of the Oconto Falls Fire Department, which responded to the farm in 13 minutes.
“I was impressed by how quickly they got here … but we had already lost the fight,” she said.
She said the family is anxious to get the building back up and to fill it again. All of this season’s hay is a total loss, along with some stored from last year.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but is believed to be the result of spontaneous combustion due to a chemical reaction in the hay.
Magnin had yet to total the amount of water used at the fire but said it rivaled the amount used at Oconto Falls High School in 2011 when the band and choir classrooms were damaged. Residents of Oconto Falls heard the wail of sirens all morning as tenders returned to the city for refilling at three separate sites.
The fire was confined to the shed, which sustained major damage. Some equipment stored in the shed also was damaged.
The Oconto Falls Fire Department, by activating the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, triggered an interdivision request for assistance. MABAS is a mutual aid system connecting fire, emergency medical services, special operations and hazardous materials resources.
Assisting the Oconto Falls Fire Department were fire departments from Green Valley-Morgan, the town and city of Gillett, Oconto, Lena, Pensaukee, Little Suamico, Pulaski, Brazeau, Coleman, Bonduel, Abrams, Underhill, Green Bay, Bellevue, Ashwaubenon, Hobart, Howard, De Pere, Suring and Townsend, along with ambulance services from Oconto Falls and Gillett, the Wisconsin State Patrol and Oconto County Sheriff’s Department.
The Brown County units were called to offer respite for Oconto County rescue workers, Magnin said.
Rescue workers began leaving the scene about 2 p.m., with the final Oconto Falls truck leaving at 4:30 p.m.
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