Gage County volunteers exhausted after weekend fighting fires, worried more will start
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Gage County volunteers had a long weekend, extinguishing three fires across the county.
Beatrice Rural Fire Chief Matt Langley couldn’t be more grateful for the community’s help.
He said seven other fire departments lent a hand, and “countless” farmers used their tractors and discs to stop the spread.
On Saturday, a fire 4 miles east of Beatrice near Highway 136 and South 51st Street was fast-moving, Langley said.
And the wind kept changing directions, making it hard for volunteer firefighters to keep the flames under control.
“As this fire was approaching the highway, we were starting to get some heavy smoke,” he said. “It did eventually jump the highway, and it continued to march north. And same thing when the wind turned out of the north, and it jumped the highway and went south again.”
Officials shut down Highway 136 from South 21st Street to South 66 Road. Langley also recommended that nearby residents evacuate.
Another fire popped up Saturday near Adams, causing residents of a nursing home to evacuate.
The Freeman Public Schools posted on social media, telling people they could shelter there.
Superintendent Andrew Havelka said 12 people from the nursing home and two more who lived nearby stayed at the school for a few hours.
They played games and watched the Husker game, trying to keep a positive attitude.
Havelka said staff, parents and community members came to help in any way they could.
Some made sandwiches for firefighters, and others got water.
“We tried to do as much as we could behind the scenes to help out,” Havelka said.
Langley and his volunteer firefighters were busy keeping their eyes out for any flames all Saturday night.
“We were finding hot spots, trees and extinguishing things all through the night,” he said. “And then we did work all day Sunday on this as well. During the time we were mopping up hot spots, we had another fire east of here and so we were able to get that one out.”
SEE ALSO: Crews battling grass fire in Gage County
Over a thousand acres burned in Saturday’s fire, according to Langley.
He’s thankful no houses were damaged — only a few sheds.
But he’s worried this weekend was only the start.
“I’m sure all the guys are very tired. It’s going to take a little time. And we just hope that we don’t have anything else pop up,” he said. “We continue to have the hot, dry, and with the winds, it’s just not taking anything at all to start any other fires.”
A Channel 8 reporter was filming the scene when she heard crackling noises nearby.
A crew was working on installing internet lines by the highway and could smell smoke coming from bushes.
A small fire had started, so two crew members worked together to stop the fire from spreading.
They stomped on the flames and brought water over to extinguish it.
Langley said he and his volunteers hope it will rain soon, so they don’t have to worry about fires spreading as easily.
