07/24/08 Fire pastures

Pasture, timber and wheat land fires can be a sobering experience, but amazing events can happen. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute with the story. One minute you are going about your daily work and the next minute you get word of a local fire. Within the next hour neighbors are planning how to do their part to save wheat crops, pasture, homes and livestock because this fire is not going to be put out quickly. A lot of communities face this situation every year and I guess it was our turn. This fire is still smoldering and it did burn some wheat, out buildings and a bunch of pasture. I have been around wheat fires and pasture fires, but had never been around a fire with livestock in harm's way. I was amazed at the attitude and demeanor of the cattle close to the fire. The first night about all that could be done was open gates and hope for the best. Horseback riders early the next morning found one group of cattle had drifted ahead of the fire and were in a relatively safe area. Next the riders moved into the burned out area expecting the worst, but found no dead cattle. With dozers building a fire check, the two brothers gathered more cattle to move back into the "black" area. I watched the cows move toward the fire like it was an everyday occurrence. That afternoon the fire broke loose and totally burned the pasture those cattle had occupied. By evening another neighbor's cattle were moved out of the fire's path and we got word of a herd that was moved from a fire twelve miles north. It was an eventful few days, but a very lucky few days for a bunch of calm cows. I'm Jeff Keane.