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The dry conditions and wind played a factor in the major fire event on Saturday, March 26, on the Holt and Antelope County line around 3:30 p.m. The fire, possibly sparked by power lines or a truck in a field, started at 859th Road and 510 Ave. It raced north toward Hwy. 20. Ewing and Orchard Fire Departments were immediately dispatched. Because of the large smoke plume, residents north of Hwy. 20 reported a grass fire in the Page Fire Department's district. Due to imminent danger, O'Neill automatically rolled mutual aid to the possible fire in the Page District. Reports of the Page fire being false, all units rolled to the Ewing Orchard Fire. The wind at 25 miles per hour, with gusts higher, brought in 14 departments from Holt, Antelope, and Knox Counties to fight the blaze, as well as many farmers and their discs and water trucks. The Departments took charge of fighting the fire on both sides of the County's dividing line. As the wind died down around 7 p.m., they successfully put out the blaze and stopped the head fires. Anticipating a change in wind direction, Chief Bill Kunz of the Stuart Fire Department then coordinated a back burn to protect a large shelter belt. Fire Departments on scene were: Bloomfield, Verdigre, Creighton, Atkinson, Stuart, O'Neill, Page, Ewing, Orchard, Clearwater, Chambers, Niobrara, Elgin, Neligh, Royal and Elgin. Water trucks from Central Valley Ag, Ag Services, and Wibur Ellis, to name a few, were dispatched to the scene, filling fire trucks in the field. Numerous farmers were also on scene with discs to cut off fuel to the fire. Governor Jim Pillen has issued a series of new documents to address ongoing weather conditions and areas impacted by multiple wildfires across the state. Notably, four of the largest fires have burned more than 800,000 acres. A new proclamation declares emergencies in counties associated with the following fires: Morrill, Cottonwood, and Anderson Bridge. However, the Road 203 Fire, which impacts Blaine and Thomas counties, was managed by federal authorities and therefore was not included in the latest proclamation for state resources. In addition to that proclamation, Gov. Pillen has issued two new executive orders. The first (26-08) extends the prohibition on fire chiefs and their designees from issuing open burning permits statewide. This order takes effect March 28 and runs through April 10. The prior ban was set to expire on March 27. The second executive order (26-09) waives hours-of-service restrictions and adjusts maximum load width/weight limits for commercial motor carriers operating within the state and delivering feed and other supplies under the ongoing wildfire emergency. That new order is also effective March 28. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in response to the latest reported fires in Grant County. Similarly, as seen with the Morrill and Cottonwood fires, the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team is providing operational management of those wildfires under the direction of the state and Gov. Pillen. Brant Pavel, President of the Chambers Fire Department, reminds everyone to exercise extreme caution when working with equipment or heat sources near high fuel loads. In addition to using extra precaution, be sure to watch for potential fires and alert authorities immediately so emergency crews can respond quickly.
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| Tags | Firefighter Wildfires |
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