Recent Fires Plague the County

It’s that time of year again: the land is dry and the wind has picked up speed. The conditions are ripe for grass fires and the local volunteer fire departments have been busy.

The largest fire volunteers have dealt with was the Livingston Enterprises hog plant in Fairbury burning this last Sunday. Firefighters from 26 different communities including Deshler, Chester, Hubbell and Hebron worked to battle the fire. Six out of the ten buildings on the property sustained damage.

The day also included a fire that Hebron responded to which started on River Road when a man burning trash in a barrel caught grass on fire and burned part of his tree line around 2 p.m. Later that day, Hebron and Belvidere firefighters were called to the scene of a grass fire in Belvidere. The fire started as a controlled burn and was located two and a half miles east of Highway 81 on Road S.

Sunday, March 15, included an Alexandria grass fire. According to Hebron fire chief BJ Linton, the cause of the fire has not been determined. Firefighters from Alexandria, Hebron, Daykin, Gilead, Belvidere, and Deshler came to the scene. The fire spread about a mile across and was located two miles east of Alexandria.