Grant and Madrid Fire Departments busy last week with two small grass fires near Grant

BY BECKY UEHLING

GRANT TRIBUNE Correspondent

Two grass fires were reported near of Grant last week, both contained with limited acreage burned, according to Grant Fire Department officials.

Tuesday, April 14

The first fire was sparked by lightning the evening of Tuesday, April 14, about five miles north of Grant, east of Highway 61. 

According to Grant Fire Chief Don Softley, the fire burned just under three acres of grass near a cornstalk field. Rainfall largely extinguished the fire, with the Grant Volunteer Fire Department responding to put out remaining hot spots and smoldering grass, Softley said. The fire was contained to the grassy area, he said.

Thursday, April 16

In a separate incident, the Grant Volunteer Fire Department responded to a page of a fire located north of the UNL-Stumpf International Wheat Center east of Grant for a grass fire believed to have been started from the exhaust on a UTV, according to Grant Fire Captain Scott Knoles. 

That fire burned just under nine acres, he said.

Firefighters were assisted by the Madrid Volunteer Fire Department, and the fire was contained in part due to green cover crops on the west side of the area, which helped slow its spread, Knoles said.

Both fires were brought under control without further reported damage, according to the two officials.