Fire Destroys Rural Manchester Building, Hundreds of Hay Bales

A rural Manchester building was destroyed in a fire on Tuesday night.

The Manchester Fire Department was called out to Mitchell Pfab’s property south of town at 2497 167th Avenue around 6:15 pm.

Assistant Chief Kevin Graybill says a 55-by-70-foot steel building containing seven hundred big bales of hay was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived on the scene. Fire departments from Ryan, Delhi, Delaware and Masonville also responded, along with Maquoketa Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. 

The building and its contents are a total loss. Firefighters were on the scene until about 2:30 am.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.