North Platte Rural Fire Department crews battled a small grass fire north of North Platte Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters were called about a mile north of the intersection of North Sandhill Road and East Barrett Road around 1:20 p.m. North Platte Fire Battalion Chief Jim Einspahr said the fire is believed to have been caused by lightning from a thunderstorm that rolled through hours earlier around 7 a.m.
He said the lightning strike caused the ground to smolder and sat there until the smoke gained enough fuel and wind for the fire to take off. Fire crews contained the fire quickly. They will remain on scene through the afternoon to ensure there are no flare ups.
