Straw Stack On Fire
August 30, 1894
The buildings and hay stacks on the McKissick Ranch have a narrow escape.
A man working with Berry & Lamb’s Thrasher, came hurriedly to town with the information that the straw stack and chicken house on the ranch of Jacob McKissick, and rented to Flo Grass, about one mile north of town on the Susanville road was on fire; caught from a spark from the steam engine that runs the thrashing machine.
Chief Engineer Hodgkinson took one of the steamers and four horses and went to the scene.
The fire was confined to the two straw stacks. About one hundred bushels of unthrashed oats was destroyed and several sacks of wheat. At 2:30 it was thought the fire was under control.
Mr. Grass’s family moved out of the little house for it was in close proximity to the burning straw stacks, on the east side with a strong wind blowing from the west.
There are two big stacks of hay just a few feet further north of the burning stacks, and if the fire should get into them the loss would fall heavy on Mr. Grass.
