By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – A countywide fire ban for Linn County is on. Then it’s off. Then it’s back on again. Dry conditions have forced Linn County Fire Chief Randy Hegwald to implement the bans then remove them based on wind speeds expected for each day.
In his report to the Linn County Commission on Monday, March 17, Hegwald reported that half of the 162 calls so far for 2025 happened in the first 17 days of March. There were 84 calls from March 1 through March 16.
He told the Linn County Commission at its weekly meeting that there were 59 fire calls the past week with 43 of them being answered last Thursday to Sunday. Strong sustained winds and dry conditions have created fire dangers, including arcing power lines and the rekindling of previously controlled fires have been a problem.
Hegwald said that Thursday and Friday were very busy days. On Saturday, fire departments from Bourbon County, Anderson County and Bates County, Mo., came to help. He said that on Friday departments from the cities of Linn Valley and La Cygne also assisted the Linn County Rural Fire Department.
He said that he is now working on the mutual agreements with the cities of Linn County who have their own fire departments, La Cygne, Linn Valley and Pleasanton.
Hegwald added that he is also working with the city of Fort Scott on a mutual aid agreement as well as surrounding county fire departments. He told the commissioners that Linn County can work under the state mutual aid agreement because it is about the same as what we are proposing to these counties and cities.
Hegwald told the commissioners that because of the recent fires he is expecting a state of emergency order where the county can apply for federal funding so he is keeping track of the high fire weather dangers issued by the National Weather Service for this week. He thinks those warnings will continue through the end of the week.
Comments