Wind-driven wildfire burns nearly 1,800 acres in northwest Nebraska

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska/wind-driven-wildfire-burns-nearly-acres-in-northwest-nebraska/article_4c7013b6-5cb3-11e5-a2fe-fbde76911d98.html

POSTED: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 12:41 AM | UPDATED: 9:24 AM, THU SEP 17, 2015.
By Kevin Cole / World-Herald staff writer

A wind-driven wildfire in northwest Nebraska burned nearly 1,800 acres of grassland Tuesday.

Firefighters from five volunteer fire departments, the U.S. Forest Service and two single-engine air tankers extinguished the Dawes County blaze in about four hours. Brian Prosser, chief of the Crawford Volunteer Fire Department, said that a mechanical failure on a hay baler was the likely cause of the fire.

“This was a wind-driven event,” said Chadron Volunteer Fire Department Chief Patrick Gould. “The wind was primarily out of the southwest. However, it kept switching directions. It pushed the fire northeast through some pretty tall grass.”

FULL short story at link.

[matt819]

1. OS - Are these kinds of fires common in NE? (nt)

[Omaha Steve]

2. Not on a regular basis or large

This fire is right in the area of them.

Most people don't realize Nebraska has 2 national forests, 3 national grasslands, and a tree nursery.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/nebraska






Forest Service to Conduct Prescribed Burn http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nebraska/news-events/?cid=STELPRD3854878
Release Date: Sep 16, 2015