Are fireworks to blame for 100-ton hay fire burning at Nunes family dairy?
A grass fire burning just outside Tulare quickly spread to a haystack at the Nunes and Sons Dairy before firefighters could contain the blaze late Saturday. The large, 100-ton haystack will burn for the next couple of days, Tulare County Fire Capt. Joanne Bear said. Firefighters worked with property owners to relocate another 300 tons of nearby hay, which were also threatened. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Bear said. Neighbors on Oakdale Avenue said they witnessed a "Disney-style" illegal fireworks show and party at the dairy, which is run by a relative of Tulare Congressman Devin Nunes. Lori Lockwood, who lives across from the dairy, said she heard loud booms and felt her house shake before midnight. She went outside with her husband and watched the colorful display, she said. Soon after, Lockwood said her husband noticed a fire spreading in the field that separates their property from the Nunes' family dairy. She called 911. "I was concerned because they use the field to grow corn and silage for their cows, and it's completely dry. We were prepared to leave," she said. "Fortunately, Tulare County Fire (Department) responded quickly and put the fire out before it could reach us." The smoke caused by the large hay fire continues to irritate the Lockwood family's lungs, she said. Firefighters said the blaze could smolder for days as the haystack burns itself out. Last week, Valley air officials urged the public to refrain from launching fireworks at home, noting a spike in poor air quality five times greater than the federal health limit. Capt. Bear would not confirm or deny whether illegal fireworks were a possible cause of the fire, repeating that the incident is under investigation. If illegal fireworks are found to be the cause, major fines could follow. California dairy farmers and ranchers are facing a shortage of hay this year, as a worsening drought tightens supplies of the fodder. Trade publication Ag Alert reports that dairy farmers across the Golden State have been stockpiling hay in anticipation of supplies running out, importing the crop from other states at great cost. Hay acreage in California dropped to a record low of 825,000 acres, an 18% drop over 2019, according to Ag Alert and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Joshua Yeager covers water, agriculture, parks and housing for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register newspapers. Follow him onTwitter @VTD_Joshy. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.