Shredder Was Likely Cause Of Wildfire In Southern Lancaster County That Destroyed Three Homes

By Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner:

October 24, 2022

(Editor’s note — this story has been updated to add the cause of the fire.)

LINCOLN — A shredder being used to chop up grass and weeds at a rural property is suspected as the cause of a wildfire Sunday that swept across southern Lancaster County.

The blaze destroyed three homes and several outbuildings, and blackened a state recreation area.

Regina Shields, a spokesperson with the Nebraska Fire Marshall’s Office, said Tuesday that a shredder can start a fire in several ways, including the blades hitting a piece of metal, blades hitting a rock or a bearing on the equipment starting to fail and overheating.

Two fires erupted in southern Lancaster County on Sunday afternoon, with the worst of the two breaking out near the county line with Gage County at about Southwest 86th Street.

Farmers helped reduce damage

That fire spread quickly, fanned by winds out of the south of over 30 mph, across farm fields and wooded ravines, forcing the evacuation of several residents in the path west of the Hallam area.

It eventually burned through the Olive Creek State Recreation area, leaving a black carpet of soot where tall prairie grass once stood.

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner credited quick action by local farmers who, on their own, mobilized tractors and discs to create fire breaks, saving some residences in that area.

“That speaks volumes for the volunteers,” Wagner said at a briefing Monday. “They did a great job in limiting the amount of property damage.”

Two firefighters injured

Two firefighters were injured, one seriously, in battling the blazes. Updates on their condition were not available Monday.

The first fire Sunday broke out south and west of Firth and, according to the Sheriff’s Office, spread “very rapidly to the north.” That fire was contained as of 6 p.m. Sunday, and no structures were reported destroyed.

But the second wildfire, which broke out just south of the Lancaster-Gage County, destroyed three homes and burned through the Olive Creek State Recreation Area northwest of Hallam.

The Red Cross and Salvation Army set up a relief center at Lincoln Southwest High School for those displaced by the fire, and the Lancaster Events Center in Lincoln provided shelter for animals.

A light drizzle fell most of Monday morning in the Lincoln area, decreasing the fire threat, but hot spots could be seen still smoldering at noon.

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