SEFD Chief Porter and SEFD Capt Donald were providing an EMS standby at Eagle Raceway when they witnessed a high speed multiple vehicle accident and roll over at the intersection of Nebraska HWY 34 and HWY 63. Chief Porter immediately contacted Lincoln 911 via radio and requested an Eagle/Alvo dispatch for a rescue alarm and to place Star Care helicopter on standby. Upon arriving on location Porter assessed the first victim in the SUV which was on its side and determined he was unconscious and in critical condition. Chief Porter than ran over to the car which was resting against a cemetery fence. The car engine was fully involved with fire and threatening the occupants in the vehicle. Chief Porter pryed open the driver’s door and found the driver unconscious and unrestrained. Due to the fire, Chief Porter had to rapidly extricate the driver and pulled the driver out. Once out of the vehicle Chief Porter continued to move the patient with the aid of a bystander clear of the vehicle. Chief Porter then returned to the vehicle to pull the back seat passenger out. He found the back seat passenger wedged between the bucket seats and the passenger having difficulty breathing. Chief Porter pulled this patient clear of the vehicle as well. A Cass county deputy pulled the front seat passenger out and Chief Porter quickly triaged that patient. Chief Porter then notified 911 to launch the helicopter due to 2 unconscious parties and gave a scene size up report to all incoming units. An attempt to extinguish the vehicle was made with Chief Porter’s personal fire extinguisher along with the Deputies, but was unsuccessful. Eagle Chief Weyers put out a mutual aid request to SEFD for an ambulance and heavy rescue equipment. He also mutual aided Midwest Medical Transport for additional ALS resources.

A BLS Weeping Water ambulance was traveling westbound on HWY 34 enroute to SERMC with a patient and came upon the accident and rendered aid to the car occupants until ALS arrived from Eagle.

Capt Donald tried to access the patient in the SUV but due to the instability of the vehicle as it was on its side he had to remain outside the vehicle. Capt Donald worked with the initial Eagle crews and ran the extrication of the patient. Car driver was transported ALS by Eagle 10, car front seat passenger was transported by Alvo 110, BLS and the rear seat occupant was signed off by Alvo Chief. Chief Porter established the LZ for Star Care and set up the ambulance staging area.

Eagle Fire units arrived on location and extinguished the car fire. Eagle ALS took over patient care with SEFD assisting. Asst Chief Wiese directed the engine crews to provide cribbing and stabilization for the extrication. Capt Donald oversaw the extrication of the SUV driver. SUV driver was extricated by SEFD and Eagle personnel, packaged and transported by Star Care.

Once all patients cleared scene, SEFD assisted Eagle with clean up and then returned to service.

It was a cool crisp April morning at 8:00am Eagle and Southeast Rural Fire Departments gathered around a house in Eagle to burn it down for a training exercise. The house was an old but sturdy house both Eagle and Southeast Depts. used the house for several months before hand for search and rescue training. On the day of the burn both departments gathered in front of the house to go over the safety rules and instructions on how the training was going to happen. New firefighters were paired with veteran fire fighters as the chiefs of both departments were waiting inside as the teams came into the house and made their approach to the burning room once there the team observed how the fire was reacting in the room and then they applied a stream water in the room and observed how the fire reacted. After about 10 minutes of doing this the firefighters backed out and a new team was sent in as this went on for a few hours going from one room to another until there was nothing left to burn and then shortly after 12:30pm the sound was given to clear the house. Once everyone was out of the house and everyone was accounted for and placed around the house the call was given to “let it go” everyone watched in amazement as the roof of the house systematically collapsed from one end to another once the house was fully collapsed there was nothing left to do but to head back to our respective stations and start the cleanup of hoses and rigs. All in all it was a good training day for both departments.

Eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 have re-opened following a series of crashes that began just after 6 a.m. Monday. The Nebraska State Patrol and Lancaster County Sheriff's Office both responded to the crashes, which took place at mile markers 413 and 414, near Waverly. Lancaster County Sheriff's Office Capt. Don Young said the first crash involved a pickup truck that rolled several times at about 6:10 a.m. Monday. Another vehicle rolled after that, Young said. At 7:34 a.m., a third accident was reported in the area of the earlier crashes. Young said none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. The crashes remained under investigation Monday morning.

Lancaster County Sheriff's Office says two homes are a total loss after going up in flames. Sheriff Terry Wagner says at 2:20 am Sunday, February 13, 2011 a 20-year-old man saw flames in the 18800 block of Saltillo road.

Wagner says when Bennet, Southeast Rural Fire Departments and Palmyra Fire Department responded, a farm house was completely engulfed in flames. He says another house nearby also caught on fire.

The original farmstead home had been abandoned for decades and the second home had been built within just feet of the original home. The second home was vacant as well and no one had lived in it for quite some time. It appears the fire started in this second home as upon firefighters arrival the home was collapsing due to the fire. The abandoned home was already on fire as well and all fire attack operations were strictly defensive.

Southeast responded with engine 31, tankers 41, 47 and 49. Southeast also responded with squads 11 and 12. SEFD units were on scene for approximately 2 hours before returning to service.

The cause of the fire is suspect and is currently under investigation by the Nebraska State Fire Marshall’s Office. Both of the houses are a total loss

Authorities say a wood burning stove might be to blame for a fire that destroyed a house near Nebraska 2 between Lincoln and Bennet.

Bennet Fire Captain Tim Norris said the woman who owns the home, Cynthia Higgins called 911 February 2, 2011 at about 2 p.m. after seeing smoke inside her house, at 13601 Railroad Circle, Lancaster County Sheriff's Sgt. Brent Moore said. Higgins was able to escape without injury. However, Norris said when firefighters arrived the home was engulfed in flames.

Bennet Fire called for mutual aid from Southeast Fire & Rescue, Hickman Fire and Firth Rural Fire departments. The home had a very long driveway and crews had to lay over 1,000 feet of 5” line to supply the engines fighting the fire. Fire attack crews made an aggressive exterior attack but limited manpower and water prevented crews from attempting and interior attack.

Weather and road conditions slowed the water shuttle response due to snow and ice packed roads. Winds out of the south were at 15 mph and helped push the fire through the house quickly.

Southeast units 31, 41, 47, 49, 60 and 11 responded to the scene. Along with other units from Bennet, Hickman and Firth over 40 firefighters remained at the scene for more than four hours. The Red Cross is assisting the family with relocation.

The house, valued at just over $143,100, is a total loss. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire.