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Amid hot, dry fall, grass fires bring destruction from Wyoming to Iowa; no rain in sight
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wildfires burning on prairie land in five states from Wyoming to Iowa have killed pets and livestock and destroyed more than a dozen homes.
Worst so far is a fire near Casper, Wyoming, that has burned almost 15 square miles of dried-out grassland.
The fire began at a landfill Saturday and spread rapidly Sunday and again Monday. A couple hundred people remained evacuated from their homes Tuesday.
The local Red Cross is asking people to donate shovels and rakes to help victims search the remains of their homes for any valuables. Other large and destructive prairie fires have been burning in the Dakotas, Montana and Iowa.
National Weather Service wildfire specialist Kelly Allen says ample rainfall last spring and summer helped to grow grass that is now fueling the wildfires.
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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com
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