CHADRON – A fire Wednesday south of Chadron in the Whispering Pines area damaged a home and burned a small area of grass.
Chadron Fire Chief Branden Martens says the fire started outside the house, then burned the front of the home and its walk-in basement while continuing to spread in the surrounding grass.
Chief Martens says Chadron crews were joined by a US Forest Service crew with grass rigs attacking that portion of the fire, the full-size pumpers on the house fire, and large tankers on a hill overlooking both to supply both groups.
Martens says relatively little water was used on the house as crews were able to stop the fire from spreading by cutting away portions of the structure and pulling out smoldering insulation.
Because the house had been built by the owner, Martens says it was difficult putting a dollar figure on the loss but he and the owner estimated about $30,000 damage to the structure and $15,000 to the contents.