Lightning caused fires burn thousands of acres

Hemingford Fire Chief Mark Klemke says fires in the Hemingford, Alliance, and Crawford areas that kept a number of fire departments busy Tuesday evening and into early Wednesday morning burned several thousand of acres of grasslands, as well as hay and trees. The fires were started by lightning from brief passing dry thunderstorms.

Fire caused minor damage to the Gary and Deb Kraenow home northeast of Hemingford near the Box Butte/Dawes County line near Highway 385. The range and tree fire came within 30-feet of the Kraenow home melting siding on the north Side of the house. Ms. Kraenow says haystacks and trees were destroyed or damaged in the fire.

Alliance Fire Chief Troy Shoemaker says his department assisted in fighting fires northeast of Alliance. Shoemaker says had the wind not shifted late last night, one of the homes in the area of County Road 54 and Gage Road and County Road 53 and Jefferson Road would have likely been damaged.

Alliance also responded to a railroad right of way fire in the Antioch area Tuesday afternoon that caused minimal damage.

Klemke says virtually every department in the North Platte Valley responded and a number of ag businesses and local farmers and ranchers also assisted by providing water.

Shoemaker says the fire danger conditions remain critically high and people need to continue to vigilant in practicing fire safety.

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