Dry cheat grass defeats green pastures in Lind blaze

Despite the appearance of green pastures, cheat grass that grew prolifically earlier this spring is providing plenty of fuel for fires.

Adams County Fire Protection District No. 2 (Lind) crews responded to three fires last week, including a nine-hour range fire that was fueled by cheat grass.

Firefighters responded to the area of Howard Road and Lind-Warden Road, which is about five miles out of Warden, around 12 p.m. last Friday to a fire started by a downed power line.

Cheat grass provided enough fuel for the fire to burn through green rangeland, scorching about 750 acres.

All of the district’s trucks, including those stationed in the outlying areas, responded to the fire as did trucks and tankers from Warden.

In addition, a local company provided aerial support.

“It was really a fast moving fire. It was in fairly rough terrain. As a matter of fact, we had three airplanes dropping water,” said Chief Don Klemmer. “We had areas we couldn’t get to, so we had to let it burn and get around to it.”

Klemmer added that “it was a stubborn fire,” continuing to burn rangeland and power poles. Crews were out for nine hours, which included returning to a flare up along the road that caused a lot of smoke but posed no danger.

On June 23, four trucks responded to the Lind-Hatton Road near Highway 26 where less than an acre of CRP grass burned.

About 50 to 60 acres were burned on June 22 at Hatton in a fire that Klemmer is unsure how it started.

Four ACFPD No. 2 trucks responded around 1:30 p.m. Connell crews also responded as it was believed the fire might be in its district.

Crews were out for five hours.