Wheel bearing sparks fire south of Gordon
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By Mark Gaschler
A hot wheel bearing started a wind-fed fire south of Gordon on Monday afternoon.
Gordon Fire Department Chief Richard Haller said that the wind was the biggest challenge in getting the fire under control. “It was a matter of getting enough help there to get around it,” he said, “because it wouldn’t go out.”
The Gordon Fire Department got the call at 1:00 p.m. and called in the Rushville, Merriman and Hay Springs departments. The fire spread over 1,500-2,000 acres by 5:00 p.m., when the fire was contained. The only damage was done to a little shed with nothing in it. No one was hurt.
Haller said that landowners need to get their windmill’s going. “If the weather doesn’t change, there’s going to be more [fires]. There’s a lot of dry grass out there,” he said.
Haller thanked Eric Anderson and Vic Baseggio for using their tractors to help fight the fire.
The Nebraska State Fire Marshal gives several fire prevention tips on Page A10 of this week’s Journal Star.