ST. JOSEPH Firefighters from multiple fire departments worked together to put out two fires in the St. Joseph area on Sunday.

According to a St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Department report, firefighters were first called to a fire at 1752 County Road 1550N, about 5 miles west of St. Joseph, at 10:20 a.m. Sunday.

St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Chief Russell Chism said the initial report indicated it was a brush fire close to a corn crib. By the time firefighters arrived at 10:30 a.m., they found an old corn crib fully engulfed in fire. In addition, three piles of brush and garbage were burning to the south of the crib, and the fire was extending to bean and corn stubble to the north.

St. Joseph-Stanton firefighters were assisted by firefighters from Philo, Edge-Scott and Sidney.

Chism said firefighters were putting out the fires surrounding the crib and then extinguished the fire in the field.

"At one point the fire extended a good half-mile away," Chism said.

Chism said firefighters had the fire under control by 11:15 a.m. and left the scene by 12:50 p.m.

Chism said the department is investigating the cause of the fire.

Chism said that a man who rents the property told firefighters he had been working on a vehicle that began to backfire and create sparks. As the man walked away from the vehicle, he said he watched some paper blow out of the vehicle and ignite the brush.

Nobody was injured.

While firefighters were still at the scene of that fire, they received a report of a second fire.

According to a St. Joseph-Stanton fire department report, firefighters were called to a fire near County Roads 2299E and 1300N, about 3 miles south of St. Joseph, at 11:42 a.m. Sunday.

Since St. Joseph-Stanton firefighters were still at the first event, Homer firefighters were the first to arrive at this fire.

According to Chism, when firefighters arrived at 11:58 a.m., they found brush, pallets and vegetation on fire on a quarter-mile length of a right-of-way area next to the Union Pacific Railroad.

Homer and St. Joseph-Stanton firefighters were soon joined by firefighters from Sidney, Broadlands-Longview, Philo, Edge-Scott, Carroll and Ogden-Royal. In addition, firefighters from Gifford and Thomasboro were standing by at their stations in case there were additional fire calls.

While firefighters battled the fire on its northern edge, the fire spread to a 200-foot-long and 60-foot-wide building that was full of pallets.

Chism said the building used to be a pallet-recycling facility.

Chism said the fire totally engulfed the building before it was extinguished. Firefighters had the fire under control by 1:08 p.m. and left the scene by 3 p.m.

Chism said that nobody was reported as being at the site, and nobody was injured. He said it was too early to determine the extent of the damage.

Chism said that somebody is thought to have been burning brush near the site either on Saturday or Sunday and had left before the fire had been put out.

"When people burn stuff they should make sure it is extinguished before they leave the scene," he said.

Chism said 30 mph winds hampered firefighting efforts at both locations.