The Great Bend Fire Department responded two small structure fires, one Wednesday and one Thursday, each resulting in about $500 damage.

On Wednesday at 6:38 p.m., units responded to 1317 Hubbard St. where light smoke was showing from single-car garage with painted wood siding. Chief Mike Napolitano said the homeowner was on scene with a garden hose spaying water on to several trash bags and a plastic trash can full of leaves and grass on the south side of the garage. He said he had thrown a cigarette into the trash can earlier and thought it was out. He found the side of his garage burning and extinguished it before firefighters arrived.

At 10:53 a.m. Thursday, firefighters were dispatched to 623 Centre St. in Pawnee Rock. They arrived to see light smoke coming from underneath a mobile home, behind the front metal steps that were used to enter the front door.
“The fire had been extinguished by a dry powder extinguisher used by a neighbor,” Napolitano said.
There was still a light smoke haze inside the trailer, so ventilation fans were set up to remove the smoke. The majority of fire damage was to the outside metal skirt and underside of the trailer by the front door.

GBFD was also dispatched to 5525 Eisenhower in Great Bend at 8:43 a.m. Thursday, to check on a smoke smell. The homeowner showed firefighters to the basement, where they could smell something in the west end of a mechanical room. A thermal imager showed nothing hot; there was no fire, but it was determined that the heating and air unit needed some maintenance.

Firefighters also had eight ambulance calls on Wednesday and seven on Thursday.