Red Flag Day brings grass fire, west of Beatrice
South winds gusting to 40-miles-per-hour fanned flames off the east side of Southwest 117th Road
By News Channel NebraskaBEATRICE - Firefighters battled a grass fire late Friday afternoon, about five miles west of Beatrice.
Beatrice rural firefighters appeared to have stopped the fire near a grove of trees, east of Southwest 117th road…..north of the intersection with West Belvedere Road.
The fire apparently started along the edge of Southwest 117th, spreading north through a grader ditch and toward the trees. South winds gusting up to nearly 40-miles-per-hour fanned the flames to the north, burning the ditch, part of a field and a few trees.
Law officers directed traffic for a mile around the fire scene.
Firefighters were dispatched a few minutes before four p.m.
Also responding to help extinguish the fire were Plymouth Firefighters and a unit from the Homestead National Historical Park.
Firefighters appeared to have the flames under control in about thirty minutes.
Southeast Nebraska counties were included in a red flag warning for extreme fire danger Friday, up until eight p.m.