Harvested corn field up in flames

Malahide Fire Chief Brent Smith estimated about 11 acres of a just harvested corn field caught on fire on the south side of Pressey Line east of Walker Road directly across the road from the Springfield Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 29. This photo was taken shortly after 4 p.m. Chief Smith said the fire was reported by either the farmer himself or his son at about 3 p.m. when it had gotten out of control. The farmer rents the land from the property owner who lives at the property at 52393 Pressey Line located east of Springfield. The farmer had not obtained a burn permit from the Township of Malahide to destroy four piles of debris and Chief Smith said the unauthorized, illegal burn would become a cost recovery call meaning either the tenant or landlord would be billed $459.45 per fire truck per hour while firefighters were at the scene. At one point, there were eight fire trucks at the property at the height of the fire for about an hour with three trucks there for at least two hours. The four piles of burning debris turned into seven piles of fire and then the corn stalks caught on fire. Chief Smith said it was fortunate two of Malahide’s tanker trucks have the ability to “pump and roll” and can move while water is deployed. The fire “followed the fuel” of the corn stalks. “Another 15 minutes we would have tractors, barns and the house involved,” Chief Smith said. (AE/Craig Bradford)