4 March 2024
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — A wildfire in rural Saline County nearly took out several homes on Feb. 29, but volunteer fire districts were quick to act and put it out.
“It’s up there. It’s probably not the biggest. I’ve never been in a situation like that,” Rural Fire District 3 volunteer firefighter Jeremy Diehl said.
Diehl says in 23 years of fighting fires, he’s never faced anything like this.
“All I was focused on was trying to save their structure. I mean if my house was threatened, I’d want people trying to save it too,” Diehl said.
Diehl usually brings a GoPro camera to document fires, but Thursday was terrifying for Jeremy. The rural fire chief confirms this was a tough one.
“The fire burned all the way up to Watkins Road, and we had hoped we could get it held there along Watkins, and we did for quite some time,” Rural Fire District 3 Chief Scott Abker said.
The fire broke out around 12:30 p.m., keeping crews out until late at night.
Jeremy was just one of the firefighters out working the fire. He says it wasn’t the biggest he’s encountered but that his experience was unlike any other. Chief Abker says the crews that battled this wildfire did everything they could to protect houses, and that’s all he could ask for.
“I’m tremendously proud of our firefighters and everyone that came to help us put this out. Some of them went way above and beyond what we normally have to do to protect houses and get this fire under control,” Chief Abker said.