Fire licked the horizon, flaring up and jumping hundreds of feet with Thursday’s strong winds while the smoke poured off the harvested cornfields, turning the sunset southwest of Austin a fierce pink.

Friday, October 22, 1999

Fire licked the horizon, flaring up and jumping hundreds of feet with Thursday’s strong winds while the smoke poured off the harvested cornfields, turning the sunset southwest of Austin a fierce pink.

"Pretty, yes, but smoke inhalation is one of the main dangers with a fire like this," Austin firefighter and training coordinator Jim Drake said, standing next to the tanker truck there to provide water for the two pumpers and a mini-pumper Austin took to the fire.

Firefighters from Austin – 20 out of a possible 33 – Lyle, Rose Creek and London worked from approximately 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday evening trying to tame a fire that started on the William Perkins farm, 16775 505 Ave., and quickly advanced across recently shorn cornfields.

Two firefighters suffered some effects of smoke inhalation, but those were minor Commander Ted Gilbertson said this morning.

"The farmers were a big help," Gilbertson said. "With the strong winds and all the chopped corn, their plowing really helped us get at the fire."

Gilbertson said at one point the fire blew over and around the firefighters, advancing several hundred feet in a few minutes. The firefighters mostly concentrated on stopping the fire from jumping the ditches and fence lines.

In the end, no buildings were damaged in the fire, although Gilbertson said several power poles were damaged.