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Rural areas challenged fighting field fires

Atlantic, Iowa Fire Dept.Dry and windy weather conditions have kept rural fire departments busy fighting field fires this fall.

Fire Chief Mark McNees in Atlantic, Iowa says fighting those field fires can be especially challenging for rural fire departments who depend on volunteers.

“It’s harder to get volunteers, people to do it and we’ve got an aging population and fewer young around,” McNees said. “It’s a grayer group that’s out there and a smaller group, so they might be equipped it’s whether they have enough people to get there.”

Chief McNees says getting ahead of a field fire is a big challenge in dry, windy conditions.

“Whether we’ve got enough people and water to do it is the big question,” said Chief McNees. “We’ve got a list and I’m sure other do too of whose got a disc that’s close, because sometimes that is the most effective wat to stop these things, to get a farmer a head of it and start disking up some land.”

Chief McNees tells Brownfield a field fire in a standing crop presents added challenges.

“And in a full standing field, especially corn, especially the height some of it grows to, it’s major,” McNees said. “By the time it kicks up the particulates from the ash and embers and you get a wind blowing with it, it’s a real demand and real problem for fire departments.

In addition to his duties as Fire Chief in Atlantic, Iowa, McNees serves as President of the Iowa Firefighters Association.

Audio: Mark McNees, Fire Chief, Atantic, Iowa

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