Thursday, October 17, was a crazy one for Osmond firefighters who answered not one, not two, but three fire calls. The high winds and dry conditions brought a Red Flag Warning for the area, which meant that warm temperatures, very low humidity and strong winds could produce an increased risk of fire danger. And unfortunately, that’s what happened.
The first fire whistle went off just after 2 p.m. Thursday. According to Fire Chief Marty Kruse, it was for a mutual aid call to Randolph; however, that one was called off.
The second fire call went out just after 4 p.m. to a ditch fire on Highway 121 about six miles south of Osmond.
Pierce Fire Department provided mutual aid and farmers disced the field to help stop the spread of the fire, which moved about 300 feet to the north. That fire was attributed to the wind causing high-line wires
to spark.
That afternoon, Osmond and area fire departments were urg ing farmers to shut down harvest operations because of the risk of fire, and because other departments were fighting fires elsewhere and there was less chance of getting mutual aid.
Luckily, the Osmond department received mutual aid from Plainview, Pierce, Wausa and Randolph for the third fire - the biggest fire yet — which was on farm ground southwest of town, owned by Kent and Diane Gansebom.
The fire started in the area of 861 Road and 543 Avenue in a corn field owned by Duane Gubbels that had not yet been harvested.
The high winds, blowing from 25 to 35 miles per hour, spread the fire north almost two miles before firefighters were able to get it under control.
The Ganseboms’ farm home, which was to the west of the fields on fire, did not receive any dam age and the family did not have to evacuate. The family commended the fire departments who kept the fire from turning toward their home.
They also praised their neighbors who helped with discing the field to help control the spread of the fire.
Firefighters were on scene until about 8:30 p.m., but went back out a second time when embers flared up again in the area.
The Osmond Fire Department thanked the neighboring fire de partments for their help. They also thanked the farmers that brought discs and water, the people who brought food, and all the volunteers who also helped.
Although there was a slight chance of rain Friday night and Monday, the area did not receive a substantial amount of rain, and there is no other precipitation in the forecast.
