GRASS FIRES PART THREE

Anderson Creek Grass Fire, Part 3

By Terry Bailey

April 2, 2016

Day three for the Mitchell County Firefighters began at 7 a.m. with renewed awareness of the situation before them. Their first day in the field was a learning experience, facing the largest grassfire in recorded Kanas history. By Saturday they knew what they were facing and knew the methods they would be using to attack it. Fortified by a hearty breakfast, loaded down with sack lunches and cases of water and Gatorade they left town to confront an uncertain enemy.

One aspect of their venture noted by all the men was the smoke. They saw it in the halls of the annex building and in the gymnasium where they slept. After dark the streetlights reflected the smoke in the streets of Medicine Lodge. In the daylight the smoke was present like a fog, sometimes obscuring the sun. Obviously, the closer to the fire the crew traveled the thicker it became. Smoke in their eyes, smoke in their nostrils and smoke in their throats.

Once again, the Central Command dispatched a fleet of over 70 firefighting vehicles and their crews toward the trouble spots in an effort to encircle the flames. After the previous day’s endeavors, the crew approached their work with much more confidence.

The firefighters found a new weapon added to their firefighting arsenal – Blackhawk attack helicopters. The Kansas National Guard assigned four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters to assist in attacking the fire. They could reach areas almost impossible for the ground crews to reach. When the fire invaded the deep gullies and ravines filled with scrub oak and cedars, the firefighters could only wait until it reached the top where they could attack it. The helicopters equipped with 660 gallon buckets could deliver water to the exact location of the fire. The Blackhawk crews flew mission after mission providing on the spot drops of water all day Saturday. The crews were expected to stay on the job Sunday if needed.

The nearest location of a water source for the firefighters was nine miles away in Medicine Lodge. Once they expended the supply of water carried by the vehicle, they would have to dash back to town, refill their on board tanks and the race back to their assigned spot. This interrupted their time on the job. Not much time passed until reinforcements arrived to cut down that time to refill. Farmers with 18 wheeled tankers began bringing water close the fire so that the firefighters could reload and get right back to the fire.

The Rural Fire District #1 fire fighters took advantage of the opportunity to examine other firefighting vehicles from all the various places. “It was a great opportunity to compare our equipment with other outfits on the job,” said Heidrick. “It was amazing to see all the different set ups and configurations. We saw a few trucks equipped with almost every state of the art equipment possible and some that were quite a bit out of date. We certainly weren’t embarrassed by the configuration of our firefighting equipment. It was a great way to get ideas and talk with the other crews about how they operated.”

On Saturday more District #1 equipment and men arrived to assist. Aaron LaCoe and Tim Bell arrived with a large water tanker truck and another Quick Response vehicle. The tanker allowed a water supply closer to the fire and the Quick Response vehicle provided another vehicle and team to attack the fire up close.

Rick Horn, Mitchell County Emergency Management System director was on location assisting as needed. Undoubtedly, he gain a great deal of firsthand knowledge working there. Heidrick noted that Horn was given a motel room but not without a drawback. Five men were assigned to the room which contained two beds. With some men working the day shift and some working the night shift, they took turns sleeping in the beds.

By late Saturday afternoon, it seemed the worst was over. While the fire was not totally contained, the end appeared to be in sight. That coupled with the forecast of snow on Sunday allowed the Central Command to start releasing the volunteer crews to return home. The local firefighters took advantage of the offer and returned home arriving early Sunday morning.

The Anderson Creek fire was indeed the largest grass fire in Kansas history. There was no loss of human life but well over 600 cattle perished in the blaze. Eleven residential structures, including the one in which Ted Turner’s ranch manager lived, were lost to the fire. Well over 1,000 large bales of hay went up in smoke. Thousands of miles of fence were lost to the fire with a replacement value set at $11,000 per mile. Estimates vary, but at least 630 square miles of land were burned.

The experience left lasting impressions with the volunteer firefighters. The consensus was that it was the experience of a lifetime. “We gained knowledge that we could not learn any other way,” said Heidrick. “It was a sad situation but we learned many things that will help us should the situation arise.”

The generosity of the community was mentioned time and time again. It was obvious that Medicine Lodge and the surrounding communities were extremely grateful for all the volunteer help. Finally the organizational framework of the effort allowed all the resources to be used effectively and directly in the firefighting effort.

Summing up, when asked, “If this situation occurred again, would you volunteer again to go and help?” Within an instant all the firefighters replied, “In a minute.”

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Beloit, KS 67420, USA