Officials say a home near Bayard was destroyed by one of several grass fires in the Nebraska Panhandle area over the weekend.
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) - KNEB radio (http://bit.ly/y0RAR2 ) says the Scottsbluff Rural fire department fought four grass fires on Sunday. Assistant Fire Chief Paul Reisig says a fire near Bayard started late Sunday afternoon in an area that burned last week. The wind-swept fire destroyed a home. No injuries were reported.
Reisig say the three other grass fires were near Minatare. Other fires in were reported near Alliance and Broadwater.
The National Weather Service said Monday that more fires were possible across the Panhandle because of dry conditions and winds gusting up to 35 mph. A fire warning remains in effect across the Panhandle through Monday evening.
Information from: KNEB-AM, http://www.kneb.com
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
OGALLALA, Neb. - At least one local fire department has stopped issuing burn permits while the extreme danger for fire remains high.
Keystone-Lemoyne Fire Chief Ralph Moul says his department will not be issuing any burn permits to residents until we receive some much needed moisture. Moul says the area has been under Red Flag Warnings for several weeks and any type of outdoor burning is just an invitation for a large wildfire to occur.
Moul says local departments have been very busy for the past couple of weeks with out of control wildfires. Moul, and other fire officials, are asking the public to be extremely careful with any outdoor burning, even in approved burn barrels with screens on top. He says burn barrels should be watched until all embers self extinguish.
Officials are also asking people to be extremely careful with everyday activities that include extreme heat and/or flame, and to be extra careful with smoking materials.
(Copyright 2012 by Clear Channel Ogallala. All Rights Reserved.)
