DICKINSON COUNTY -The Dickinson County Sheriff is investigating a rural hay bale fire.

Fire crews were dispatched to report of the fire near the intersection of 800 Avenue and Fair Road just after 6:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Saline County Fire District 1 Chief Rod Ade said the cause of the fire is suspicious. “We had bales on fire in four different locations,” he said.

“We saw tire tracks and someone driving around near the bales.”

The first two fires were two and a half miles apart. The third was a mile and a half west and the fourth fire was a mile south and back to the west according to Ade.

The damp conditions from early morning rain prevented the fire from spreading into the surrounding grass.

“If this had been earlier in the week, it would have been a much different fire,” he said. “A couple of farmers used their equipment to help keep the fire from spreading. They lost 50-75 large bales and no acreage.’

There were no injuries.