Thursday Fires in McCook

The City of McCook Fire Department responded to two separate fires on Thursday, March 19th. The first call came in at 4:09 pm reporting a fire near a garage in the 1100 block of West 13th. Smoke was visible while crews were responding to the incident. Neighbors were attempting to extinguish the fire with a garden hose when the fire department arrived. The fire was in a driveway area and involved discarded furniture. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and entered the garage to check for any extension into the structure. The radiated heat did cause some heat damage to the interior garage, and the area was cooled with water to ensure there was no fire. The fire was caused by a gas powered log splitter located near the discarded furniture. Eleven firefighters, one pumper, and one command vehicle responded and were on scene for approximately 40 minutes. The second call came in at 7:59 pm reporting a grass fire located in the area of the 600 block of West E Street. Fire personnel located a grass fire on a side hill located just east of property at 609 West E Street. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. Firefighters determined the cause of the fire to be improper disposal of a cigarette.  Nine firefighters and one pumper responded and were on scene for approximately 30 minutes. Both fires should serve as a reminder that Governor Jim Pillen enacted a statewide burn ban to combat elevated wildfire risks, with the order set to remain in effect until at least 11:59 pm on March 27, 2026. The City of McCook Fire Department will not be issuing any burn permits and strongly encourages all residents to abstain from any outside burning.