By Kalin Krohe, Panhandle Post
The Hemingford Volunteer Fire Department responded to fires on Feb.15 in Hemingford and Feb. 16 in Sheridan County.
The first fire was a house fire that started around 10 p.m. on Monday night in the Village of Hemingford. HVFD crews battled the fire for around 5 hours.
The fire was caused by a fireplace.
"There were no injuries in the fire," Hemingford Fire Chief Shad Bryner said. "The house did receive major damage in the fire. The residents are displaced at this time. The house is not habitable at this time."
The approximate damage to the house and items is around $350,000.
"We had 18 members respond to the call," Bryner said. "We responded with five vehicles to the scene."
The HVFD was assisted by the Nebraska State Fire Marshal Investigators, Hemingford Police Department, Village of Hemingford and Black Hills Energy.
According to the Hemingford Chamber of Commerce, a "Randolph Fire Benefit" fund has been set up at the Hemingford Community Federal Credit Union. If you want to make a donation, you can mail a check to PO Box 991, Hemingford, NE 69348.
While the HVFD was cleaning up from the house fire, they were dispatched to a barn fire in rural Sheridan County at 4 a.m. Fire crews were on scene for approximately four hours.
Chief Bryner said the cause of the barn fire was a heating lamp used to keep the livestock warm.
"There was some loss to livestock," Bryner said. "But nobody was harmed."
The barn was a complete loss including equipment, hay, etc.
"The freezing temperatures was another factor to deal with," Bryner added. "It was a long night."
The HVFD responded with nine firefighters and five vehicles. They received mutual aid from Hay Springs and Alliance, both with two vehicles. PREMA and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal also assisted the HVFD.