Multiple communities respond to grass fire near Oconto

PRESSEY— A grass fire at the Pressey Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday, December 8 required a multitude of help to put out the blaze.

Gavin Higgins of KCNI & KBBN Radio reports that at approximately, 2:30 PM crews from the Oconto Fire Department were dispatched to a grass fire on the east side of Highway 21 near the Pressey WMA Shooting Range. The fire spread to the west moving down into a canyon and burning up to a small pond. The quick response of area fire crews resulted in the flames being mostly extinguished around 4 PM, with some crews remaining on scene to clean up hot spots.

Fire departments from Ansley, Broken Bow, Callaway,  Eddyville, Lexington, Mason City, and Oconto responded to the scene as did Game and Parks Commission, Custer County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol and Broken Bow EMS. An Arrow Aviation spray plane also provided aerial support and dumped two loads of  water on the flames. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal Agency also responded to help determine the cause.

Custer County Emergency Manager Mark Rempe says the grass was about 3 feet tall as it is not grazed. They were thankful it had not spread further with cedar trees and hills in the area.

 

Courtesy/ Gavin Higgins-KCNI/KBBN. A grass fire at the Pressey Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 required a multitude of help to put out the blaze.