Local strike team in southeast Nebraska sent to aid in firefight near North Platte

BEATRICE – A newly formed 3-and-33 mutual aid strike team from southeast Nebraska took off at one o’clock Wednesday morning from Fairbury, to aid firefighting efforts near North Platte.

Wymore Fire Chief Mark Meints says the team arrived in western Nebraska at six a.m….with a fire engine, a support/command vehicle, a supply trailer and a total of eight local firefighters.  Fairbury’s department has been deployed before, but Meints says this was the first strike team trip involving Wymore and Barneston departments.

"We're kind of afraid this is going to be the norm, for a while...with all the fires we had last year, and already starting up this year. We're just afraid it's going to be a norm for the state, and in going to trainings with the National Weather Service, they're saying the same thing."

Such mutual aid deployments typically last 72 hours….with 12 to 16 hour days. Officials are trying to gain full control of what’s called the Betty’s Way Fire in Lincoln and Custer Counties.

"Our support vehicle from Wymore was driven. Fairbury drove their fire truck and Barneston's was trailored on a semi....it's quite a bit bigger truck and is slower...so they put it on a semi, and took it out."

The local mutual aid association….a multi-county group….recently approved bylaws for the formation of a local strike team….with up to five separate fire apparatus.  "It doesn't drain your entire fire department, so we take one truck from Barneston, our support vehicle from Wymore and one truck from Fairbury....which then leaves several trucks in the area. That's a lot better than draining one whole fire department."

The Nebraska State Fire Marshal, Nebraska State Forestry and Nebraska State Firefighters Association have been working on building strike teams in the state to help out in times of major fire disasters.  During high fire danger Monday in southeast Nebraska….two fires broke out near Dorchester and Friend….but Meints says the Beatrice and Fairbury areas were lucky to avoid major grass fires.

"Governor Pillen is being very supportive of firefighters this last year, since he's been in. We've had some symposiums and things in trying to plan better. Everybody's getting tired out there, trying to fight the fires and that's what mutual aid is for. This is a state disaster, which means we will get funded back some of the money for expenses, like mileage, fuel and any damaged equipment. The Governor's fund can kick in...and that also gives them state support."

As of late Tuesday afternoon, the fire near North Platte had burned over 70,000 acres and was about 72% contained. High winds, however, carry the danger of touching off new fires around the torched area.