Plane, several fire departments battle Johnstown area fire

JOHNSTOWN, Neb. - Firefighters continue to battle a canyon fire northwest of Johnstown that began as a prescribed burn. According to Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala, the fire, which is estimated at 12,000 to 14,000 acres, broke containment around 3:15 p.m. Monday after a sudden shift in wind direction.

“The winds were a huge problem yesterday,” Brown and Rock County Deputy Emergency Manager Jessica Pozehl said Tuesday. “They came up quite frequently and switched directions frequently.”

Pozehl said the fire came dangerously close to several homes, including one where flames reached the edge of the property. 

“We were very lucky that we didn’t have anyone get hurt or trapped in the flames yesterday. It’s a very serious situation when the flames change directions like that,” said Pozehl.

Pozehl estimated the fire was about 30 percent contained Tuesday morning. However, shifting winds later in the day erased that progress. By the afternoon, containment had dropped back to zero, and mutual aid was requested from several area fire departments.

“Winds are supposed to be a lot more gusty tomorrow, so we’re going to try to get as much as we can done today,” said Pozehl.

A big job for volunteers in this small community west of Ainsworth.

“They take a lot of time away from their families and their jobs to be able to work for other people and to protect their livelihood, so we appreciate them,” said Pozehl.

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