By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Fire continues to put out what remains of the Cottonwood Complex fire that swept through the area on Saturday. Fire Chief Steve Beer presented two maps of the areas affected by the fire.
Of the 35 homes that were destroyed, nearly all of them were in an area from Victory Road to Clydesdale and from 4th north to 17th Avenue. As of now, the fire is close to being contained.
”Crews continue to make good progress,” Beer said. “They are actually working over 26 miles of perimeter around this fire.”
Despite the cooler conditions and some snow, there are still pockets of fire to be found.
“We continue to have flare ups due to the heavy timber. Crews even reported finding burning tires and some different things,” Beer said. “We anticipate that to continue for the next few days or even into next week.”
Beer noted that homes with at least a 100-foot perimeter around them that had limited tree growth survived the fire while those that were more crowded with red cedars and trees did not. Beer says the devastation in the burned-out areas is beyond what you would see with other weather disasters.
“We talk about floods, we talk about tornadoes,” Beer said. “When a fire comes through the area, when people lose everything, they lose everything. We have people out there right now sifting through the ashes trying to find a piece of jewelry, trying to find a ring, trying to find something that they can tie back to their home.”
Beer says the recovery from the fire will be a very long time coming and help is still needed, especially monetary donations. You can help by dialing 211, or by sending donations to the United Way at 924 N. Main in Hutchinson. You can donate online at unitedwayofrenocounty.org.
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