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juries were caused by his own negligence and that they had "implied permission" to start the fire, because its owner has long tolerated people going into the field.
• Nebraska law requires local fire chiefs to approve an open-burn permit before a controlled fire is started, but Sones said he didn't fill one out until after the fire. Nix argued that, as a volunteer fire chief, Sones was within his power.
• "Is that standard procedure to burn it first and then fill this out?" White asked in the deposition.
• "No," Sones said. "I filled it out for my personal record."
• Sones said local authorities didn't organize a search line to walk the field, but they drove a fire truck through part of it. Sones said he wasn't aware that people often slept in the field.
• After the fire was set, Sones drove a truck through a ditch along Highway 87 to watch the blaze, while one firefighter rode in back with the water supply and another walked the field with a drip torch. Sones said he saw movement in the grass but didn't immediately realize it was a person.
• "He kind of rolled as the fire got to him," Sones said. "He set up and looked around. He looked at us. And I yelled at the guy in the back to put the water on -- put the grass out, put water on him, protect him."
• Sones said one firefighter who went into the flames and grabbed Bluebird suffered minor burns. Sones took a hose from the truck and started running cold water on Bluebird's hands. Bluebird repeatedly said "I'm sorry" and thanked the firefighters for saving him, Sones said.
•

• STURGIS, S.D. (AP) -- Students of Sturgis Middle School will go to three different area buildings for the rest of the academic year because of heavy snow that collapsed the roof.
• The Meade School Board approved a temporarily plan that sends sixth grade to the administration building, seventh grade to Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and eighth grade to a closed section at the high school.
• Superintendent Don Kirkegaard says damage from the collapse of the new metal roof was more extensive than initially thought.
• The exterior roof broke through the old flat roof and the sprinkler system, which flooded the building. Some roof trusses are broken, and others shifted. The carpet is destroyed, tiles are coming up from the floor and down from the ceiling, and drywall needs to be replaced.

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