By Ryan Duey

The Big Blue 2 Fire engulfed Marshall County in April, demanding extensive firefighting efforts. Two fire districts, Frankfort and Blue Rapids, spent over 700 hours each battling the blaze, depleting their 2024 budgets.

The Marshall County commissioners agreed to help the two districts by covering half of the districts’ man-hour costs, totaling $5,669, from the risk management fund. This decision followed a discussion with the Emergency Management director, Bill Schwindamann, who presented data revealing the significant impact on the fire districts. Schwindamann also highlighted the challenges faced by his department, including substantial overtime and exhausted resources.

The fire, burned over 5,500 acres in Marshall County, with over 220 firefighters from various agencies battling the blaze.