Highway 77 in Beatrice closed after massive fire at EPA Superfund site
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Highway 77 in Beatrice was shut down Saturday as crews put out hot spots from a massive fire.
Around 10 p.m. on Friday, Beatrice Fire & Rescue responded to a blaze at the abandoned Dempsters complex near Highway 77 and Perkins Street.
It was caught on Channel 8’s Schoen’s Roofing camera.
The old windmill factory has been there since 1878, with many companies taking residence inside.
It has been abandoned since 2017 and is currently an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site, meaning hazardous materials are present.
Fire Chief Brian Daake said the biggest challenge was getting inside.
“It’s a very complicated complex in there with numerous buildings,” he said. “Essentially when we found the fire, it was in the interior of the compound. It took around 400 feet of a 2.5-inch fire hose to be able to get access to that after going through a chain-link fence and then basically a forest because this site’s been abandoned for quite some time.”
Daake said his crews received help from multiple fire departments, with the state fire marshal now investigating the cause.
The fire started in a semitrailer in the middle of the complex and spread throughout the building to the second floor.
He said there is no public health threat because the EPA had already removed the worst of the hazardous materials.
“So what we have from an air quality standpoint is basically just heavy timber wood,” he said. “There are some oil and items that have been soaked into there. But last night, we had really great wind conditions, weather conditions. The vast majority of the smoke went up and out.”
But Highway 77 between Perkins and Caldwell streets is closed off because part of the building could collapse.
Fire crews have been working to put out the remaining hot spots and safely demolish the building.
“We’re working with some heavy equipment contractors to make the building basically fall in on itself,” Daake said. “So that way we’re able to get Highway 77 back up to traffic. It’s going to be closed for quite some time.”
