IVFD helps battle Hayes County fire

    The Imperial Volunteer Fire Department was among those helping battle a major fire last week north of Hayes Center.
    The IVFD was called in on mutual aid early Tuesday evening, April 7, and was one of 21 departments in all to battle the fire reported early that afternoon.
    Fire Chief Doug Mitchell said Imperial sent two quick attack units and four firefighters. They were used to relieve the day crew, arriving about 9:30 p.m. and returned at 5 a.m. Wednesday, he said.
    Char Hamilton, Hayes County Emergency Manager, said the Hayes Center Fire Chief’s report states 2,000 acres were burned in the fire. The cause was tied to a pickup that became stuck fixing fence, igniting a fire that burned into tall grass.
    The fire burned east of the TV tower on Highway 25, about eight miles north of Hayes Center. No structures were destroyed, according to Hamilton.
    The fire burned in mostly pasture amid rough terrain with canyons. Hamilton said four county maintainers made roads so crews could get to the fire.
    In all, 116 firefighters, 52 apparatus and three aircraft with the WIRAT team helped battle the fire. Two ambulances were also on scene, according to the report.
    The Wauneta Volunteer Fire Department also responded on mutual aid.
Lightning starts grass fire
    The IVFD responded to a grass fire report Saturday about 6:30 p.m. in the far southwest corner of their district in Chase County.
    Fire Chief Mitchell said lightning that evening started the fire that burned an estimated two acres of CRP grass. Imperial’s two quick attack units made it to the scene before the other trucks, but rain had put most of it out, he said.
    The two units did some cleanup work to make certain the fire was extinguished.
    “If it hadn’t rained, I was expecting a lot of calls that night,” Mitchell said.
    The Lamar Volunteer Fire Department was also paged and responded.