KEARNEY, Neb. – The Kearney Volunteer Fire Department would like the residents of the City of Kearney and Buffalo County to be aware of the dry conditions and remind them to be extremely cautious while conducting activities that could ignite grass fires.
Dormant vegetation, lack of moisture received this winter, increasing temperatures and low relative humidity have all combined to put all of Nebraska into the “High” or “Very High” risk for fire danger. The current weather forecast shows a continuation of warm and dry conditions.
This will continue to increase the risk of grass fires.
Here are some recommended prevention tips:
• Discard smoking materials properly.
• If conducting outside work with equipment that may spark, generate heat, or
create a fire, have a fire extinguisher on hand and have a fire watch.
• If using burn barrels, do not burn if the wind is over 10 MPH, and ensure the
barrel is properly screened with screen openings being ½” or smaller.
• Use caution when driving vehicles through tall grass, as catalytic converters can
easily ignite the grass and vegetation.
• All open burning requires a burn permit, and the fire must be supervised.
• If you see a fire, call 911 immediately. Do not try to extinguish an out of control
fire on your own.
If you have more questions or concerns, please contact the fire department.