Alex Krueger of Bagley suffered severe injuries in a Thursday morning farm field fire in Guthrie and Greene Counties.
Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright said his deputies, along with Greene County sheriff Jack Williams, Yale, Jamaica, Bagley and Bayard fire departments, and Panora EMS responded to the fire in the 2800 block of 110th Street. The 911 call was placed by Krueger at 10:10 am April 13 after he lost control of the fire.
The fire occurred in a farm field and then spread to a tractor and implement he was using to control the fire, causing serious burns to Krueger.
Bagley fire chief Jeremy Cooper commented it appears Krueger was attempting a controlled burn of the field, which had flooded last year. He adds that the current dry conditions and winds caused the fire to get out of control, engulfing the tractor and operator. Cooper says the tractor is a total loss.
The fire crews battled the wind but were eventually able to control the blaze.
Krueger was taken by air ambulance to a Des Moines hospital and later transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Burn Unit.
Krueger’s nieces, Taralinda and Anna, are posting information on Alex’s condition on the Caring Bridge website. Their post states: “Alex was badly burned during a tragic fire while doing some field work. He was doing a controlled burn of his field when the wind caught the fire and it became out of control. While using the tractor to attempt to create a fire line with the tiller, the fire engulfed the tractor. Miraculously, Alex was able to get out, call 911 and the neighbors himself. He was airlifted to Des Moines to be stabilized, and then to the University of Iowa Hospital Burn Unit where he’ll reside for several months as he heals. He suffered burns to 47 percent of his body (exclusively his torso, arms, neck, head, and face) and his chance of survival is not high. We continue to be optimistic and advocate for what is best for Alex.
“During surgery on Monday, his back, lower stomach, and arms are covered in donor skin. This skin will stay in place for one – six weeks and helps prevent infection. The team compared this solution to a “fancy band-aid”. Eventually, his own skin will be used to cover the burned areas, but his body can’t handle any additional trauma right now.
“Surgery was intense – all his wounds including his face are covered in many, many bandages. We are so hopeful he will be strong enough and the swelling will be reduced enough to remove the ventilator soon.
“We are thankful for all the words of hope, support, and encouragement and share them all with Alex.
“Cards will reach Alex at: University of Iowa Hospital Burn Center, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242. A nurse will read them to him. He needs our encouragement and PRAYERS.”
Fire chief Cooper advises residents that there is a burn ban in effect for Guthrie and Adair counties, and that it is urgent that people obey the ban. Greene County is not currently under a burn ban.
Residents should always contact local fire officials to see if it is or is not safe to do a controlled burn. They should also contact the sheriff’s office so that fire departments are not paged unnecessarily. ~courtesy of The Scranton Journal
