It may be green out, but firefighters still busy

    Plentiful rains lately have greened up Chase County.
    While the current absence of dry conditions is allowing firefighters to breathe a bit easier, that doesn’t mean they haven’t stayed busy.
    Imperial’s Volunteer Fire Department responded to four calls over a four-day period last week, starting the 4th of July.
    Shortly after 9 p.m. July 4, the IVFD was called to a fire at the Imperial recycling center, just off East Highway 6.
    Fire Chief Doug Mitchell said fireworks made with cardboard were tossed into the cardboard collection area, and is believed to have started the fire.
    Mitchell saw video from cameras at a nearby business, saying “It was burning pretty good” before fire trucks arrived.
    It was extinguished quickly. There was no damage to the building, said Public Works Supt. Pat Davison.
    Last Thursday, firefighters responded to a resident’s call in the 800 block of Broadway, whose carbon monoxide alarm was going off.
    Masked up firefighters checked out her home. Mitchell said the CO detector in Shirley Fanning’s residence had bad batteries. The department supplied her with new batteries, he said.
    A call to Champion Friday at 1:20 p.m. came after a riding lawn mower clipped a Black Hills Energy meter with its blade, Mitchell said.
    The IVFD was on standby until BHE personnel arrived with a tool to pinch off the gas line.
    Later Friday, the IVFD and Lamar Volunteer Fire Department were summoned to a reported fire northeast of Lamar at 8:45 p.m.
    Mitchell said Stan Cross was burning grass west of his farmhouse. He had not acquired a burn permit, Mitchell said.
    Imperial’s command car and quick attack units were on scene but the fire was handled by the Lamar firefighters. Mitchell said Imperial’s trucks were sent back to Imperial before arriving on scene.
    A sheriff’s deputy was also on scene, Mitchell said.
    Imperial EMS was also on scene in Champion and for the CO alarm call last week for assistance if needed.