Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Fire destroyed 52 acres of standing wheat at Mike and LuAnne Hardung farm east of Odessa last week before firefighters were able to put out the blaze. The picture, taken via cell phone by the Hardung's granddaughter Charly Plinski, appears in color on our website at www.odessarecord.com (you do not have to log in to view the content).
Harvest in the Odessa area has gotten into full swing, and only days into it, the fire calls have already been coming in to firefighters.
At the home place of Mike and LuAnn Hardung about 10 miles east of Odessa, 88 acres burned last Friday, of which 52 were standing wheat. According to LuAnn Hardung, the cause was a bearing on a combine which overheated and dropped into the tinder-dry wheat. Her son Joel, who was helping Mike with the harvest at the home place, was driving that combine and was able to steer it to safety. No vehicles were lost to the blaze.
A fire truck was standing ready at the Hardung farm, one of the many rural fire trucks stationed throughout the county. Mike and Joel fought the fire while LuAnn called 911. Odessa firefighters arrived just in time with several trucks and a tanker, just as the Hardung’s truck was running out of water.
The flames came quite close to the house, but quick work by the firemen ensured that the home was spared. All seven of Mike and LuAnn’s grandchildren were present at the farm, enjoying being a part of the harvest. LuAnn got them all moved into a shed that was located farther away from the flames, as the firemen wetted down the areas all around the house. Everyone remained safe, and there were no injuries of any kind.
Breezy conditions did not help the firefighters out, but as LuAnn said, they were able to stop the flames before the fire jumped Weber Road and got into more of the Hardungs’ winter wheat on the other side.
Weather forecast worrisome
Area farmers have more to be concerned about if forecasts for the next few days turn out to be accurate. Thunderstorms are forecast for sometime from late Thursday into early Saturday. The forecast is for Spokane and surrounding areas of eastern Washington. Farmers are somewhat anxious, since lightning could, of course, bring more fires. Even if the lightning should miss our area, rain is something that is not desirable right in the middle of harvest. It delays everything, and farmers must then wait for fields to dry out again before cutting.
Once the three-day storm period has passed, however, the outlook is for hot, dry conditions to return. Harvest will then proceed, it is hoped, without further delay.
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