LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Cottonwood Fire has burned an area nearly twice the size of Lincoln, leaving a visible burn scar across the hills of Lincoln County. At Bearded Lady LLC, a ranch southwest of Jeffrey Lake near Brady, Owen Johnson and Heather Maynard lost outbuildings, tools and hay — but their home survived.
A Colorado-based wildland fire crew happened to be staying a few miles from the ranch when firefighters from Brady tracked them down at their cabin and asked for help. Peter Ringen, owner of Phoenix Wildland, said his crew arrived to find extreme fire conditions.
“We were seeing anywhere from 8 to 25-foot flame lengths rolling down a hillside of just all tall grass,” Ringen said.
Ringen’s crew are federal contractors who work a few months out of the year. He said they spent two hours assessing the property before acting…