A straw bale fire damaged a grocery store in Forsyth. The Country Mart store temporarily closed.

Firefighters responded to the grocery store on Tuesday at 3:15 a.m. Investigators say the fire started in the straw bales outside the store. The fire spread into the store. The sprinkler system knocked down the fire. An employee inside the store called 911. Forsyth Fire Chief Nathan Bower says whether it’s your home or your store, you need to be careful about how you’re storing hay and straw.

“Watch where you put them things close to outlets, candles, extension cords,” said Bower. “And obviously bulk items like this they shoot really shouldn’t be stored next to whether it’s a store or whether your house, they should be stored away from it, because if they do accidentally catch on fire, at least they’re burning outside of that versus next to a structure.”

Frequent shoppers like Jovita Dublin worry they must travel farther for groceries.

“When we noticed that there had been a fire here, I couldn’t believe it,” said Dublin. “It’s hard. Like for us, you know, like my husband, he’s got problems, and he can’t drive that far. “

It took 22 firefighters from three departments to work the four-and-a-half-hour fire. The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating.

Store management is working with the health department to reopen the store. The drive-thru pharmacy remains open.