The New Bothwell Fire Department responded to a grain dryer that caught fire Wednesday night.
Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe says they were dispatched to the farm along Road 20 East, just west of New Bothwell, shortly after 6 pm. Wiebe says it appears a blockage may have caused the dryer to overheat inside, creating the fire.
When crews arrived they drained a couple of the columns that were suspect and extinguished some hotspots.
The Fire Chief says he does not have a damage estimate but suggests there was damage to the grain and then also to the dryer.
Crews were on scene for just over an hour. Wiebe says there were no injuries.
With grain dryers expected to be humming this fall as a result of the wet fields, Wiebe says there is no concern that these types of fires might become more common. He notes the dryers are well designed and normally not a problem. But Wiebe says anytime you create an excessive amount of heat, you run the risk of fire.
Meanwhile, he says in the case of an overheated grain dryer, typically there are no visible flames. At times there can be smoke or excessive steam but Wiebe says it may not be visible to the untrained eye.