This article was originally published in the McCook Gazette, march 2024.
McCOOK Neb. - "I hope he can see this. I want to thank the man who jumped beside a burning vehicle to move my car. You truly did risk something for a stranger. My family and I are forever grateful to you." Katie Steadman Kotschwar posted on Facebook. The man she was talking about was Danny Kraft, a farmer from Marion, Nebraska.
Danny and his wife Jessica were leaving the Tractor Supply Store on Sunday evening, March 17, 2024, when he noticed the fire at Wendy's in McCook and told his wife they needed to help. Jessica didn't believe it at first but soon discovered he was right.
A car belonging to an employee was on fire parked right behind the restaurant. They drove over, and Danny, a volunteer firefighter at Beaver Valley's Fire Department in Danbury, went into action. Two employees came out of the restaurant to see what was going on, and Jessica called 911.
One employee was distraught. Their car was parked next to the burning vehicle, and they feared getting too close to the fire. Without hesitation, Danny took their keys and moved the car.
Panicked, another employee attempted to move their car but couldn't get it started. Danny came to the front of the vehicle and pushed it out of harm's way. Concerned after hearing that there were car seats in the back of the burning vehicle, Danny broke out a window to ensure there were no passengers. Soon enough, help arrived from the McCook City Fire Department to extinguish the fire.
"If you see something and can help, you just do," Danny says. His wife Jessica says he has always been this way, "We live in a community with older people, and he (Danny) is always helping neighbors; he's pretty great." Jessica shared that 2022 during the dangerous fires in Lebanon, Danbury, and Wilsonville, he was out fighting them for 38 hours straight. He'd say, 'This is why we need volunteers" she said.
Fire Chief Marc Harpham reported that the fire department responded to a vehicle fire in Wendy's parking lot at around 7:10 pm. The fire had spread to the building but was swiftly contained within three minutes. While the damage to the walk-in freezer's exterior was estimated at $1,000, the vehicle—a 2007 Toyota Corolla LE—was declared a total loss, with damage estimated at $2,500. Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire likely originated in the vehicle's passenger compartment.
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