Hampton Fire Department responds to three calls last week

Three fires in five days created one of the busiest stretches in recent memory for the Hampton Fire Department last week.

     Firefighters responded to their first call on Dec. 30 at Brent's Ag & Auto Repair just north of Hampton on Highway 65. Insulation around the business' chimney had caught fire, but employees were able to put out the smoldering material before firefighters arrived.

     "Luckily we had a garden hose here in the shop and were able to get water on it right away," said owner Brent Kotenbrink.

     Workers smelled smoke and located the fire just after 10 a.m., Kotenbrink said. No flames were visible, and they were able to soak the area and quench the problem relatively quickly. They spent the rest of the day cleaning up and replacing burnt insulation, and everything was taken care of by Tuesday.

Read the full article in the Jan. 8 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.