Hay Barn Near Shumway Catches Fire

Fire has done major damage to a barn full of hay bales northwest of Effingham.

Stewardson and Shumway firefighters were still on scene as of 4pm, taking on the tedious task of pulling the bales out of a barn owned by Michael and Judy Brummer and then extinguishing the bales. The barn is located at 10874 East 2000th Avenue, about a mile south of the Effingham-Shelby County line. The property is north and east of Shumway.

The Brummers' son-in-law said it appeared that some of the bales were still damp and the combination of the heat and the moisture caused the bales to catch fire. Firefighters were pulling bales out of the barn into a field to the west and putting them out, while Michael Brummer was trying to salvage the bales that are still intact.

No one was injured.