KEY POINTS:
A haybarn fire near Feilding, burning for more than two days, is being kept alive by strong winds.
Firefighters decided to let 27,000 hay bales worth $500,000 burn to the ground on Sunday morning, after the barn was engulfed in flames.
Feilding deputy fire chief Graeme Spiers told the Manawatu Standards 40 fire officers had battled the blaze, which reduced by a quarter last night.
The fire was being treated as suspicious, and was expected to continue burning for another 12 hours.
The barn's owner Duncan Baker said insurance would probably cover the damage, but the hay was destined for 30 to 50 Waikato farmers who desperately needed it.
- NZPA
