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BELGRADE- A farmer lost $30,000 worth crops in a fire that broke out north of Belgrade on Tuesday afternoon.

Farmer Gary DeHaan tells us he believes the fire was started by combine chaff and while that may sound extreme, that's how dry it is in the Gallatin Valley right now. Once the straw hit the exhaust of the combine it burst into flames.

DeHaan told us that 125 of land burned, which included 100 acres of a malt barley crop destined for beer.

The Central Valley Fire Department responded to the field fire off Theisen Road around 3 p.m. and a rapid response from 10 other agencies as well as quick thinking neighbors, who used ATV's and trucks with water tanks to attack the fire, kept it from threatening any structures.

The blaze was brought under control in about an hour.