Dairy barn damaged in fire

PNT staff reports

A fire destroyed about 500 tons of hay and damaged a barn Sunday at Westra Dairy in Portales.

Portales Fire Department Battalion Chief Lance Hill said Portales and Arch firefighters battled the blaze from just after 11 a.m. until 5:50 p.m. He said they provided protection for dairy workers to use fork lifts to save about 30 bales from the burning hay barn, and fought the fire until it was at a safe level for the dairy owner to watch.

Hill said the fire was still smoldering Monday.

Hill said the cause of the fire was unknown and the dairy owner said he had been by the barn about an hour before the fire was found but saw no smoke.

Hill said he had no damage estimate.