College ready in case of evacuation

Amid reports that high winds are fueling the growing fire raging southwest of Chadron State, college officials said Friday that the college is prepared for evacuation, should the need arise.

Interim President Randy Rhine said the college has been taking precautions necessary to bolster the college’s perimeter since Wednesday; however, he said that the odds of the fire getting town were “not that good.”

Rhine said a number of arrangements are in place to protect the campus as well as ensure the safety of its residents.

The college has been watering fields and lawns toward the campus’ south side at 200 percent the normal rate since Wednesday. Sprinklers and hoses have also been readied for deployment on building roofs, Rhine said.

Roughly 250 students remain on campus through the extended weekend, in addition to housing staff, Rhine said.

“We have staff in every building,” he said.

In the event of an evacuation, the college has reached an agreement with Chadron Public Schools to house any remaining college students at Kenwood Elementary School (450 Norfolk Avenue).

Rhine said that the college had a number of evacuation procedures in place, and that each building would be thoroughly searched prior to being secured.

“We will verify that no one is there before we secure a building,” Rhine said.

Students will be notified of an evacuation through a variety of means, including text and email messages, as well as through in-person notification, where applicable.

“The more messages that are sent, the more likely they will hear one of them,” Rhine said.

Editor’s Note: This article initially stated the fire crossed U.S. 385 Friday afternoon and has been revised due to confirmation from multiple sources Saturday morning that this was not the case.