Firefighters kept busy as Fourth nears

    Firefighters in the area were kept busy with a pair of calls the past week, as dry conditions continue to be a concern in southwest Nebraska.
    On Saturday, fire departments from Lamar and Imperial responded to a report of a semi loaded with square bales that was on fire northwest of Imperial.
    Sheriff Kevin Mueller said the 9:20 p.m. call took his officer to Road 744 along the Brandon Road, about 5 miles north of Highway 6.
    “It appears from the investigation that a semi pulling a load of square bales ignited for unknown reasons which caught the trailer and semi on fire,” Mueller reported.
    The driver was Stuart-Lee Fredrik Mulder, 39, of Grant. Loren Jessen of Grant is owner of the semi and trailer, which were a total loss, Mueller said.
    Lamar firefighters were first on the scene and began to attack the burning bales. Kelsey Weiss, 2nd asst. chief with the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department, said they were on scene until 3 a.m. Sunday.
    Imperial EMS also responded to the accident scene.
    The accident remains under investigation, Mueller said.
    IVFD fought a grass fire west of Chase County Community Hospital late last Thursday afternoon, started by a mower in the area.
    Weiss said the fire started on Tim May property while a hired hand was mowing grass. Weiss said they think a gear box may have been hot, starting the grass on the mower deck to burn.
    In turn, it burned into the grass below, and spread into some trees on the hospital property. About a half acre of grass on May’s and Jeff Wallin’s property burned.