Wildfires erupt in Gage County again
Another day with a red flag warning brought more fires in the fields for Gage County's rural firefighters.
One fire broke out south of Wymore and west of Barneston shortly before 1 p.m. Wymore Fire and Rescue issued a call on social media for discs and tractors near U.S. 77 and Nebraska 8
According to the Gage County Sheriff's Office social media accounts, fire departments from Wymore, Blue Springs, Barneston, Odell responded to the fire, along with Oketo and Axtell in Kansas.
Another one started north of Beatrice near West Hickory Road and Southwest 61st Road just before 2. Smoke from that fire was visible in the city.
The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a red flag warning due to high winds and low relative humidity for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.
A red flag warning is issued when dangerous fire weather conditions are occurring or are likely to occur in the near future. During the warning time, winds were expected to be out of the south at 20 to 25 mph with gusts reaching 40, and the relative humidity could drop as low as 20%. Conditions are dry, with most of the state in at least a moderate drought. The entirety of Gage County is in severe drought.
Just before 3 p.m., the wind at Beatrice Municipal Airport was out of the south at 29 mph with gusts to 33, and the relative humidity was 24%.
Gage County Emergency Manager Lisa Wiegand said at this week's County Board of Supervisors meeting that she had been in contact with the rural fire chiefs to prep for Thursday's conditions. The county had five fire incidents on Oct. 5 and 6 under similar conditions.
