WINNEMUCCA - The Winnemucca Rural and Winnemucca City fire departments responded to a controlled burn that jumped the state fence toward Interstate 80 and exit 176 on the afternoon of Dec. 20.
Chief Ron Schrempp of the WRFD said that the fire spread from a landowner burning weeds in his fields. Schrempp said that 13 or 14 firefighters from his department responded to the fire. They were assisted by city fire, the Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca Police Department officers, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office deputies and Nevada Highway Patrol troopers.
"We all worked together to put it out," Schrempp stated.
Law enforcement officers closed West Winnemucca Boulevard and the westbound 176 exit in order to fight the fire and prevent accidents because of the dense smoke obscuring drivers' field of vision.
Schrempp said that starting a controlled burn in the afternoon such as was the case in this incident is more likely to go out of control as afternoon winds increase. He stated that burning in the morning hours is a safer bet.
Chief Alan Olsen of the WCFD said that 12 to 15 of his firefighters responded to the fire with three of their trucks. Olsen reported that firefighters stopped the fire from encroaching on to the freeway and other nearby properties but the landowner continued burning his fields.
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