Cedar County paging tower toppled; Coleridge firefighters activated via text
COLERIDGE, Neb. -- With much of the state under siege by powerful spring storms, a small northeast Nebraska community was not immune.
At approximately 4:19 p.m. Thursday, Coleridge Fire & Rescue was paged out for a vegetation fire three miles south of town on Highway 57, about one and a half miles east on Highway 59.
High winds snapped off power poles, causing 7200-volt power lines to be active on the ground and setting road ditches on fire.
Just before being called to the fire, the Cedar County paging tower was toppled by high winds.
While unable to page or activate the fire siren, they were able to get firefighters to the scene via text messages.
After the fire was extinguished, two trucks and personnel remained on site to ensure scene safety and provide traffic control, Coleridge Fire officials said. Cedar-Knox PPD was on site to deactivate the line.
At 7:15, officials were able to re-open the road and return to the fire station.
Coleridge EMS, the Cedar County Sheriff's Office and Cedar County Emergency Management provided support.