The fire moved at 70 miles per hour. Walls of flame 30 feet high. 32,546 acres gone in hours. There was no outrunning it. There was only standing and fighting — or losing everything.
This is the story of that fire. The fear that gripped entire communities. And the response — from every direction — that proved what we already knew: people on the plains are tough as nails.
Week One: The Fire
March 6-12, 2017
Day 1 — Monday, March 6
Extreme fire danger. Winds gusting to 60 mph. Humidity dropping to single digits.
Smoke seen rolling over the hills north of Haxtun.
A spark ignites dry cornfield stubble. With 60+ mph winds, the fire spreads rapidly.
The interstate is no barrier. Schools evacuate: Caliche, Fleming, Haxtun.
15+ fire departments respond. Farmers mobilize tractors and water trucks.
Cattle trapped by fast-moving flames. Ranchers face devastating losses.
Several homes and outbuildings destroyed. Families evacuate.
Days 2-7
Volunteers and firefighters battle embers past midnight. The countryside glows like a thousand campfires.
Hot spots flare up. Farmers race to contain new fires before winds pick up again.
Neighbors helping neighbors. Water trucks, tractors, and volunteers from across the region.
Volunteers bring food to the fire hall. Farmers patrol for hot spots. The community mobilizes.
32,546 acres burned. 23 miles traveled in 8 hours. Dozens of families affected.
The Recovery
From ashes to rebuilding
Week 2-4
People Show Up
- Donations pour in from across the country
- Hay convoys arrive from neighboring states
- Letters and checks from strangers — cities and small towns
- Community fundraisers raise $750K+
Spring 2017
Planting Hope
- Farmers plant oats to stabilize soil
- Tractors mobilize like during the fire
- Green returns to scorched earth
- Community pulls together
Summer 2017
Rebuilding
- Houses rebuilt by local contractors
- Fences replaced mile by mile
- Ranchers begin rebuilding herds
- $750K+ raised for affected families
One Year Later
Moving Forward
- Homes completed and families return
- Land showing signs of recovery
- Community stronger than before
- "Everybody lost some. Nobody lost everything."
"You could see it coming for miles — a black wall eating the sky. And nobody ran. They grabbed shovels. They grabbed hoses. They stood their ground."
What the Fire Showed Us
"Out here, you don't wait for help. You are the help."
"The fire took what it wanted. But it didn't take us."
"Plains people don't break. We bend, we burn, we rebuild."