United Group Insurance

Fire update: Ricketts residents back in town after field fire threatened community

News

November 3rd, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Residents of the small western Iowa town of Ricketts were briefly evacuated early Wednesday afternoon as a large field fire started spreading in the area. According to Crawford County Emergency Management, a field of standing corn ignited and strong winds pushed the fire toward Ricketts, a town of about 100 residents.

Firefighters from departments in Crawford, Ida and Woodbury Counties were able to stop the fire before it reached the community and residents were allowed back into Ricketts at about 3 p.m. Officials say the fire did burn a three-to-four mile area before it was contained, though.

The wind carried smoke from the fire more than 50 miles to the north.