MCCOOK, Neb. (AP) — A fire chief who says southwestern Nebraska’s Red Willow County is “sitting on a powder keg” has barred outdoor burning of any kind and is refusing to issue any burn permits.

Red Willow Western fire chief Bill Elliott said firefighters have been busy because it’s very dry in the area and conditions aren’t expected to improve anytime soon.

He advises landowners to closely monitor anything they’ve burned lately because embers can rekindle in a breeze.

The fires “are coming too fast and furious,” he said.

Red Willow Western firefighters have dealt with multiple fires in the past month, including one that was rekindled from a permitted burn on Valentine’s Day, Elliott said.

Another fire last week, which was caused by an electrical short, burned one house and injured a man. That blaze forced a large portion of McCook to be evacuated as firefighters throughout the area fought the blaze that was spreading quickly through dry grass.

Despite the strain of repeated fires, the Red Willow crew is doing well, Elliott said.

“I’m proud of them,” he said.

Red Willow Western has also received help from other area departments, which has helped with the challenging number of fires, Elliott said.

“That’s what fire departments do. They help each other,” he said.

Firefighters from Keystone, Lemoyne, Ogallala, Wallace, Imperial and Grant recently came to the department’s aid.

“They brought six trucks and two command vehicles, and stayed all night,” Elliott said. “They were a real salvation. We were beat. We felt so blessed to have their help.”