Volunteers battle fires

Volunteers responded to three fires in the area last Wednesday, Aug. 28. The fires at times threatened houses, but crews were able to stop them.

Crews here joined District 13 volunteers to a fire reported along Highway 26 near the Luther curve, west of Colfax.

The fire started along Highway 26 on the south side and burned up into pasture and one to two acres of crop land. The fire was seen as a threat to the Eric Larson residence, and the Colfax number two pumper was dispatched for standby duty at the house. A harvest crew was operating on the north side of the highway some distance from the fire scene.

Cause of the fire was unknown, but the starting point along the south side of the highway indicated the ignition point was somehow related to eastbound highway traffic.

Dusty, Wilcox and Onecho crews from District 13 responded to the fire.

Crews in District 11 responded at 1:54 p.m. to a harvest fire on Danaher Road about five miles north of Colfax. The fire burned approximately four acres in a field being harvested by Larry Cochran about one half mile west of Highway 195.

The fire is believed to have started off the combine. Cochran said the fire started in stubble, but a wind shift sent the fire into grain where it was extinguished.

Steptoe, Colfax, Albion and Diamond trucks all responded to the scene.

The combine and other harvest equipment were moved to a cleared area in the north side of the field.

At 3:10 p.m. volunteers were called back to the Danaher Road area where another fire was started by the combine. The second fire covered approximately 15 acres of crop land and made a run at a house.