A fire destroyed about 4,000 to 5,000 tons of straw early Monday. It's being investigated as an arson.

ALBANY — A large straw fire started early Monday morning outside Albany was caused by arson, said an agricultural business owner.

“It’s 100% somebody lit it, no doubt,” said Johnny Gilmour, owner of Gilmour Pacific Trading.

He added that the fire burned unnaturally even and he was told by authorities that a canine unit detected accelerants.

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the blaze.

That agency, the Albany Fire Department, Oregon State Police and Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office all consider the fire suspicious, according to a news release.

The fire, which continued to smolder Tuesday afternoon, destroyed about 4,000 to 5,000 tons of straw, Gilmour said. He added that the loss should be covered by insurance.

The Albany Fire Department responded to the fire, which was reported at 2:13 a.m. in a rural area just west of Albany.

About 10 fire agency units responded to the scene, according to PulsePoint, a nonprofit smartphone app that tracks public safety calls.

Gilmour Pacific Trading stored straw at the location. 

Nathan Oliverson, who lives across the road, woke up in the middle of the night to answer a phone call from a neighbor early Monday morning, was told about the fire and called 911.

“A handful of people had already called about it,” he said.

The fire was huge, and Oliverson was worried it would jump the road and spread to his property.

The straw pile was covered in tarps, Oliverson said. He added that he sees cars pull into the area frequently.

Gilmour Pacific Trading runs about 130,000 tons of straw and 25,000 to 30,000 tons of hay each year, Gilmour said.

The business employs more than 55 workers depending on the season, he added.