Crews weary after battling multiple fires
Staff writers
Lincolnville Fire Chief Les Kaiser got no sleep Sunday night after running from one fire to another in Marion and Morris counties Sunday well into the wee hours.
There was no rest for the weary Monday as he and his department fought two more Morris County fires.
Herington Fire Chief Andrew Avantagiato had managed to get 1½ hours sleep Monday before he got called out again.
Numerous fires sprung up Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
A small fire Thursday afternoon at South and Main Sts. in Lehigh was extinguished within two minutes by a single Lehigh firefighter using a resident’s garden hose.
At 5:02 a.m. Friday, Hillsboro, Durham, Goessel, and Lehigh firefighters spent an hour battling a fire that destroyed a shed and spread to trees near 230th and Eagle Rds. Hillsboro ambulance also was dispatched.
At 5:20 p.m. Friday, Hillsboro firefighters spent 40 minutes extinguishing and mopping up after a small grass fire near 150th and Indigo Rds.
Marion, Lincolnville, Goessel and Peabody initially were dispatched as well, but were told to stand down.
A 9:26 p.m. Saturday, a grass fire at K-15 and 140th Rd. grew out of control. Goessel firefighters extinguished it within 10 minutes, then spent 50 more minutes mopping up.
County emergency manager Marcy Hostetler said that although a burn ban had been in effect earlier in the day, conditions had improved enough that the ban was not active at the time the landowner set the fire.
Firefighters were called at 11:15 p.m. Saturday to US-56/77 between Lost Springs and Lincolnville. The fire was determined to have been a controlled burn reported earlier.
Lost Springs firefighters were summoned at 10:26 a.m. Sunday to US-56/77 and 340th Rd. Originally reported to be a rekindled controlled burn, the fire was determined to be additional intentional burning. Firefighters spent 50 minutes extinguishing the fire, then spent 40 more minutes mopping up.
Hostetler said the controlled burn had been set when no burn ban was in effect.
While Lost Springs firefighters were busy with the fire at US-56/77 and 340th Rd., a task force of firefighters from Marion, Lincolnville, Peabody, Hillsboro, Goessel, and Ramona joined firefighters from Burdick, Council Grove, and Herington to battle a large grass fire near 2200 Rd. and BB Ave. in Morris County, north of Diamond Springs. Arriving at 11:36 a.m., some Marion County firefighters remained there until 3:17 p.m.
When an adjoining county asks for Marion County task force to respond, Hostetler said, Kaiser, as task force director, is contacted, and he decides which departments to summon.
“That way, you don’t short the county if we have a fire in the county,” Hostetler said.
While some Peabody firefighters were still in Morris County, a 15- to 20-acre grass fire at 60th and Timber Rds. was reported at 3:17 p.m. Sunday.
Some firefighters responded directly from the Morris County fire. They were busy with that fire for 1½ hours. Both Hillsboro and Marion ambulances also were busy, so Tampa ambulance was dispatched from 37 miles away and arrived at 4:12 p.m.
With firefighters already busy both in Morris County and at 60th and Timber Rds., a car exploded after it hit a deer at 3:47 p.m. near US-50 and 80th Rd.
Peabody firefighters, diverted from the fire at 60th and Timber Rds., arrived before Marion, Hillsboro, and Goessel crews and extinguished the bulk of the fire within 10 minutes. They told departments other than Marion to stand down. Firefighters were on the scene 40 minutes.
No ambulance was sent to the burning car, Hostetler said, because its occupants already had escaped the vehicle before notifying authorities.
At 1:09 a.m. Monday, Lincolnville and Lost Springs firefighters joined Herington firefighters and spent nearly 3½ hours fighting a fully engulfed home near CC Ave. and 2700 Rd. in Morris County, southeast of Burdick.
Kaiser said the house completely burned, but nobody was at home at the time.
Water to fight the fire came from Centre School.
Herington Fire Department asked for help with another Morris County fire Monday.
At 3:51 p.m., Herington Fire Department requested help fighting a grass fire that involved structures between Burdick and Herington near 2900 Rd. and X Ave. Lincolnville and Lost Springs spent more than three hours fighting that fire.
“We are very, very blessed in the county,” Hostetler said. “Look at how much time on Sunday they took away from their families. I’m just saying ‘thank you and we appreciate you.’”
Fire calls continued Tuesday.
At 5:32 p.m., Hillsboro firefighters spent nearly 45 minutes looking in vain for what was reported to be fire in railroad ties at 240th and Meridan Rds. even as Marion firefighters were engaged in what appeared to be a two-hour training exercise burning grass adjacent to Marion County Club.
Then, at 6:57 p.m., Florence firefighters were dispatched to a grass fire north of US-77 near the US-50/77 roundabout that turned out to be a controlled burn.