Firefighters Battle Elements as Well as Fire

Local firefighters were forced to battle winter weather as well as a house fire early Saturday morning in Fairbury. Fairbury Rural Fire Department was paged to a report of a house fire in the area of 562 Avenue and 708th Road at 4:08 a.m., November 29, 2025. Initial reports indicated there was full involvement of the upstairs and attic of the structure. Jansen Rural Fire was also requested per an automatic mutual aid agreement.Dispatch reported all occupants were reported as having safely evacuated the building.Firefighters arrived to find a two-story residential structure with heavy fire conditions in the upstairs area. Due to the remote location and adverse weather conditions, a request went out for mutual aid support from Gilead Fire and Hubbel Fire for additional water tenders. Later in the incident, a request was made for mutual aid with Daykin Fire for water tender support. When fire engines arrived, a defensive exterior fire attack was initiated, and a water shuttle operation was set up to re-supply the pump operations.As fire attack started, there was a collapse of the roof onto the second story and fire had spread throughout the main floor of the structure. There was also a collapse of an exterior wall that landed close to a propane tank. Exterior operations continued until the fire was brought under control at about 6:30 a.m. The structure is considered a total loss. Weather conditions caused multiple hazards. Rainfall overnight created a layer of ice and caused the roads to be tough to travel. There was also a weight limited bridge along the water shuttle route, which added extra travel time to returning water tenders. As the rain changed to snow and wind shifted directions, the smoke from the fire stayed low to the ground, causing near zero visibility along the driveway to the structure. This presented a challenge to water shuttle operations as they couldn’t see the driveway or spotters as they were making their way to the drop point.Fire command consulted with Nebraska State Fire Marshal investigator and resident reports to determine the cause to be accidental/electrical in nature. The total duration of the call was three hours and 35 minutes. The Incident Commander was Assistant Fire Chief Brett Rogers.Fire Chief Judd Sewart reported two fire engines, seven water tenders and 25 fire personnel on scene to extinguish the fire and provide support on the fireground. The City of Fairbury Utilities Department was on scene to assist with controlling utilities. Red Cross was contacted to help find housing for the displaced residents.There were no injuries to firefighters or members of the public. Chief Stewart said, “It’s important to note, Research from Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) shows that faulty or overloaded wiring accounts for an estimated 67,800 fires, 500 deaths, and more than 2,000 injuries each year, and a whopping $868 million in property damage. It’s important to have the electrical system inspected in your home, by a professional every few years; especially if you notice warning signs such as dimming lights, frequent circuit breaker trips, or blown fuses. Replace outdated panels to ensure they can protect your home from fires during overloads. Upgrade two-prong outlets to grounded three-prong outlets and have any old or damaged wiring replaced. Use lightbulbs that are the proper wattage for a fixture; higher wattage bulbs can degrade wires. And have an electrician add more outlets to reduce reliance on extension cords. In addition to these tips, make sure functioning smoke alarms are installed on every floor and in every sleeping area.” In addition to this, FRFD was also called out at 6:25 a.m. on Monday, December 1 for a vehicle fire about a mile south of 708 Rd on 569 Ave. FRFD arrived to find a vehicle that had slid into the ditch. The owner was attempting to get the vehicle out of the ditch when the vehicle overheated and caught fire. No injuries were reported and the vehicle was a total loss. Again, emergency crews had to contend with heavy snow and poor road conditions on this call as well.

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