IVFD called to Champion, Dundy County Tuesday

    The Imperial Volunteer Fire Department (IVFD) was kept busy Tuesday afternoon.
    Two separate calls went off within minutes of each other.
The first call was a grass fire near Ed Cupp’s property, west of Champion.
    “That was a small grass fire that got into some trees,” IVFD Chief Doug Mitchell said.
    “We’re not sure what started it.”
    Mitchell said they had four fire trucks covering the fire near Cupp’s.
    The second call took firefighters to a grain bin location that Joe Lutz owns near the Dundy County line.
    “They’re thinking something electrical caused that one,” Mitchell said.
    “Southwest Public Power was called out to check it out.”
    The second fire involved hay bales.
    “We had four trucks down at Lutz’s, but then Benkelman showed up and took over since it was in their district,” Mitchell said.
    The afternoon proved good practice for the younger firefighters, Mitchell added.
    “We’ll be on the lookout the next few days since things will be drying out and getting hot,” Mitchell said.
    “Hopefully nothing big happens.”