East of Broken Bow | Cz550 - 3/30/2025 08:57
Two days ago a nation wildlife refuge south of valentine Nebraska started on fire . The combination of high wind and substantial fuel load within the refuge lead to a fire that could not be controlled. Various stories from those local say that either a side by side started it or a brush mower started it while the fws was doing maintenance during a red flag warning day .
We lost 3000 + acres of our 4300 acre ranch and suddenly now will have little to no grazing on those acres. First what do we do with these displaced cattle 300 pairs with now no home 60 days from grass turn out . Second who is responsible and how do we get squared up ?
If a combine has a bearing go out and it burns my neighbors field my liability insurance covers his loss . Who will cover this loss?
Sorry for the long post . Thank you for the constructive comments!
We have been burning grass for over 15 years now, doing controlled burns. If we get normal moisture, your grazing losses will be minimal. You will have to keep the cows out of the burned area early in the spring, for us it usually means about 10 days to 2 weeks later than normal depending on weather, but your total grass production for the year will not be reduced by much, and the grass you have will be more nutritious, and your calves will most likely be heavier at weaning than normal. The above is for native prarie. Without looking at anything, just going by what things are like 'here' I would want about 15-20 days worth of hay plus repairs to any fances or facilities as damages. Native grass has withstood prarie fires for eaons, and it's still here, it will have about the best recovery of any perennial plant. Anyone who says you can't graze it this year, does not know what they are talking about. In fact, if you have a parcel that is partly burned, and partly untouched by the fire, the cows will flock to the burned part, and only will graze the unburned after they grub out the burned.
I don't know what facilities were damaged, or fences, but I will say anywhere the wire got hot enough to burn off the galvanizing, I would want new wire.
I hate to be one of those 'call your lawyer' guys, but maybe a couple hundred to a lawyer who is familiar with this sort of thing could be money well spent for the knowledge of who to contact, and what to say. |
Fish and wildlife service burns private land
