A fire erupted in a large wood chip pile on Penetanguishene Road in Springwater Township.
The blaze was called in as a grass fire around seven on Sunday night, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jeff French, in an email to Barrie 360.
The fire was located at the top of a gravel pit, which made accessing the blaze very difficult, French said.
"Fire crews stretched approximately 800 feet of hose just to get to the fire. The wood chip pile was approximately 100 x 100 and about 15 feet in height," French explained.
The fire was deep-seated in the pile and extended about 80 feet into a bush area.
Firefighters extinguished that and then turned their attention to the wood chip pile.
French said that heavy machinery was brought in, and two additional tankers were assigned to assist with shuttling water. An RTV off-road vehicle was used to transport crews and gear to the location.
It took crews six hours to knock down the flames.
French said the fire is believed to have started from spontaneous combustion within the wood chip pile.
