NPPD Plant undamaged, in Thursday wildfire north of Beatrice

BEATRICE – A wildfire that torched ground north of Beatrice near the Nebraska Public Power District combined cycle plant Thursday afternoon covered about 100 acres.

Beatrice Rural Fire Chief Matt Langley said although the blaze reached inside the NPPD perimeter, no major damage was done. NPPD spokesman Grant Otten confirmed that no buildings or equipment were damaged. The plant was offline, at the time.

Langley said the fire spread from the north side of Hickory Road in the area of Southwest 61st, expanding north to Hackberry Road.  "The fire did burn their south tree line, on the south end of their property. It did catch a field inside of their tree line perimeter, there. It did burn that field as well...it was harvested. And, then it did go through some of their north tree line, but it was stopped at Hackberry Road."

Firefighters wrapped up an afternoon-long firefight at about 6:30 p.m., but were called back to the scene to a flare-up east of Southwest 61st in the same area… after 7:00 p.m.

One pivot irrigation system was damaged in Thursday’s fire and Langley says two landowners helped out by using the systems to pour water on areas.  "I think that pivot actually was able to be turned on to pump some water for a little bit, and it was requested when the fire was inside the plant perimeter in that field....it was requested that dispatch contact the landowner to the north and get that pivot turned on...which they did."

Beatrice Rural was summoned to provide mutual aid for a fire south of Wymore….but were then called away to the blaze north of Beatrice after about twenty minutes.

The Wymore fire west of U.S. 77 and Nebraska Highway 8 jumped highway 8, but was stopped before it crossed Sycamore Road, a mile north.

Langley said firefighters took steps to protect buildings north of the NPPD plant. "We did have structure protection for a house and there was some outbuildings for the farm on the north side of Hackberry Road just north of the power plant. A big concern for me was the house and an open shed with some hay bales sitting there....so we wetted all that down as a precaution, but the fire was stopped at the road."

There were no injuries in the fires….and Langley says those fighting the fires are largely volunteers.
"The vast majority of these departments that responded including our department...the vast majority of the folks on those departments also have day jobs....and so I really want to say thanks to all those employers out there that are allowing these firefighters to come and assist, when needed. I know it can be a burden to them, but it's a huge benefit to the community. It shows a very supportive community when they can allow their employees to come out and do that....so I really don't want that to go unnoticed."

Beatrice Rural and fire units from Pickrell, Plymouth, DeWitt, Filley and the Homestead National Historical Park fought the fire near the plant.