KEARNEY — Volunteer firefighters from at least four different Kearney area departments were in Crawford during the weekend fighting wildfires.
According to their Facebook pages, firefighters from Kearney, Elm Creek, Gibbon and Oxford left Friday night for Crawford for a wildfire that has reported to have burned 5,544 acres. As of Sunday morning, the fire was only about 15% contained.
So far, 277 fire personnel from 75 departments have been battling the blaze five miles southeast of Crawford. On Saturday, Kearney and Gibbon volunteers were assigned to the same division, although they had separate responsibilities and weren’t working in the same area, said Kearney volunteer Lonny Reeder.
Kearney firefighters’ responsibility was to put out hot spots within 100 feet of the edge of the burned areas of the wildfire, including cow patties, trees, stumps and anything that could blow embers into the unburned grasses and restart the fire. He made the 330-mile trip with other volunteers, including his wife Robin, Chris Hellerich and Nate Toof.
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Firefighters worked in shifts for about 12 hours in the rough terrain.
“It’s hot, hard work,” Reeder said.
Attempts to reach firefighters with Gibbon, Elm Creek and Oxford were unsuccessful.
According to their Facebook pages, each department took at least one truck to the Panhandle community. However, Reeder said there weren’t many roads in the area of the fires, the area was steep and much of it had to be fought on foot.
The Nebraska Forest Service also used Chinook helicopters airlifting water to help fight the blaze as firefighters fought it from the ground.
“There aren’t much for roads. Most of what we are driving on are fire lines that were cut by dozers and scrapers,” Reeder said Saturday during a message with the Hub.
Firefighters returned home Sunday, and although they were exhausted, Reeder said the trip was worth it. “We wanted to help. We know if we had a big fire they would all come to help us, too.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation to firefighters may contact the following businesses with credit card information: Saddlerock One Stop (gas station); D&S Market (grocery); and Pine Ridge Service Center Inc. (equipment maintenance). Monetary donations may be sent to the Crawford Volunteer Fire Department, 3450 Highway 20, Crawford, NE 69339.
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