IVFD sends firefighters to panhandle wildfire

    The Imperial Volunteer Fire Department joined 30 or more partners working to extinguish a large wildfire in the panhandle, eight miles south of Gering.
    Nebraska Emergency Management Agency officials said Tuesday the blaze has burned about 2,560 acres in Banner and Scotts Bluff counties on state land in the Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area.
    Imperial Fire Chief Doug Mitchell said Wednesday that two Imperial firefighters—Mark Bomba and Dustin Harris—worked a shift with the Southwest Mutual Aid Strike Team.
    The pair left 3:30 a.m. Monday to meet up with others in Ogallala, returning about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
    In a Tuesday report from NEMA, no homes had been lost, no injuries were reported and no evacuations were required.
    The fire started Sunday morning, and spread quickly due to the wind.
    Officials from NEMA, the Game & Parks Commission, State Fire Marshal’s Office and Nebraska Forestry Service are on the scene along with numerous area fire departments.
    NEMA Preparedness and Operations Manager Earl Imler arrived on scene Tuesday to coordinate with unified command to get additional state assets there.
    Two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and nine Army National Guard soldiers departed from Lincoln Tuesday to provide support in the form of water drops. Two single-engine air tankers from Colorado flew retardant drop missions on Sunday and returned Tuesday.
    “Rugged, inaccessible terrain and wind-driven runs have hampered firefighting efforts,” Gering Fire Chief Nathan Flowers said.