Southeast Nebraska firefighters on standby amid dry, windy conditions

CRETE, Neb. (KLKN) — Southeast Nebraska is under a red flag warning until sundown Thursday.

That means due to the combination of high winds and dry conditions, there is a high potential for fires to spread.

Rural volunteer fire departments like Crete Fire & Rescue are on high alert.

Assistant Chief James Yost said the department had its equipment ready since the morning to act as fast as possible. 

“We have all three of our brush rigs fully ready to go,” he said.

Yost said being ready helps them respond quickly to large fires or multiple fires at one time. 

The main concern for the department is grass fires, but high winds could also start a fire in front of your house.

The department shared a video on Facebook of a recent call showing a power pole that began to lean because of high winds. The power lines sparked, and so did the tree they were running through.

“A lot of time, branches will come down or trees will blow into power lines,” Yost said.

He asked people to help the department by reporting smoke or small fires as soon as possible.