We need to move, and we need to move fast.
Those were the thoughts running through Gavin Harsh’s mind when he heard about the beginnings of the Road 702 fire on Friday, April 22.
Harsh and his dad operate Dusty Prairie Ranch south of Bartley, Nebraska. He recently recounted the hours and days that followed after he got the call about the fire.
“As soon as I got to the feedlot, the tractor went from room temperature to instant heat, full-on heat,” said Harsh. “The stomach was definitely doing a lot of flips at that point and I said, ‘I’m not doing that again.’”
Harsh said the trees around him were already on fire, so he escaped with the tractor as quickly as possible. But once he got to the road, the wind, ash and smoke were blowing so badly that he couldn’t tell if he was in the middle of the road or driving along the edge.
After about 3 a.m. on Saturday, Harsh said his focus transitioned from moving cattle to safety to helping direct out-of-town firefighters.
“With zero visibility and unfamiliarity of the land… I was the crew of just getting them around the roads and pastures that I knew had good roads to get to them.”
As a young producer, Harsh said he’s constantly thinking about both the immediate and long-term future needs of the operation. For now, the priority at Dusty Prairie Ranch is getting the ground producing again to preserve the topsoil.
In total, Harsh estimates they lost 1,000 acres of pasture grass and 700 acres of farmable land. At the time of the interview, they had not yet done a herd count, but Harsh thinks they could have lost a few calves.
