Fire dept. called to Imperial Beef; trash fire extinguished

    Units and personnel from the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire call at Imperial Beef last Thursday, only to find it was a controlled trash burn.
    Fire Chief Doug Mitchell said when they arrived on scene after the 7:25 p.m. call, they found employees burning trash in a caged enclosure.
    “There weren’t any weeds or grass within 100 feet,” Mitchell said, and it was under control.
    However, the IVFD dumped water on it from three trucks due to the dry conditions.
    It was apparently reported as a fire by a passerby, Mitchell said.
    The IVFD dispatched six trucks and quick attacks with 15 firefighters to the scene. Mitchell said they were on the call just under an hour.
    Mitchell reminds residents there is always an open burning ban in Nebraska set by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, whether there has been moisture or not.
    Local fire chiefs can issue special burn permits, but that’s not going to happen in the IVFD district anytime soon, according to Mitchell.
    Even with 2 inches of moisture received early this week, the fire chief said he is not yet ready to issue burn permits.
    “That won’t happen until we get a good green-up,” he said.