That smoke in Galt? It’s from 12,000 bales of hay that caught fire early Thursday morning and won’t be fully extinguished for days, the Cosumnes Fire Department said.

The blaze began at just after 2 a.m. near the intersection of Kost Road and New Hope Road, according to Chief Mike McLaughlin. A hay barn in the area has been destroyed.

McLaughlin said that although the fire is contained, fire crews will likely be on site for three to four days battling a “smoldering mess.”

“There’s simply no way to extinguish this,” he said. “These things are just tightly packed. They’re a nightmare.”