Railroad splits catch fire on CR109

The Sidney Rural Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call Tuesday morning at a property on County Road 109 just west of Sidney near Hwy. 30 after a stacked pile of railroad splits caught fire.

The property owner, Bennie Bennett, said he did not see how the fire started. He said he had returned from breakfast when he noticed the splits on fire and tried to extinguish it with a garden hose.

"But at that point, it was already too late," he said.

The fire also damaged a nearby telephone service box, knocking out phone service to Bennett's and possibly other nearby properties.

"My phone doesn't work, and I doubt anyone else's does either," he said.

The fire was quickly suppressed by the volunteer fire department while deputies with the Cheyenne County Sheriff's Office assisted in traffic control.