FORMER SALVAGE YARD BURNS

BENTON -- Trash, tires and extraneous items burned for two hours Saturday afternoon when sparks from a lawn mower ignited the dry grass and the fire spread.

The tires were part of a former salvage yard near Benton, said Greg Schwartzkopf, deputy fire chief of New Hamburg/Benton/Chaffee fire department.

The owner of the former Charles Worley Salvage Yard on Scott County Road 331 was mowing, and the blade hit a piece of metal, Schwartzkopf said. The dry grass immediately caught fire and spread.

Firefighters from three fire departments battled the blaze for two hours, he said. The extra help was called because they couldn't get their heavy equipment through the sand and near the fire.

The only things damaged were items that were part of the former salvage yard and there was very little dollar loss.