Kansas family recalls close call as raging wildfire approached fifth-generation ranch

Jayce Dickerson and his family were driving through a dust storm when their truck and trailer flipped. They didn’t know that flames were closing in on them. And moving fast.

The strongest winds measured across Wednesday’s enormous storm happened in Russell, not far from where the Dickersons’ fifth-generation ranch is in Paradise. The 100 mph gust was measured shortly before officials warned people of the fire, and urged anyone in its path to evacuate.

Wildfires raged across the state, propelled by high winds. The Kansas Forest Service estimates roughly 391,000 acres burned Wednesday, with about 366,000 acres burning in a multi-county fire in Ellis, Rooks, Osborne and Russell counties.

The Dickersons, thinking the fire in Russell County would miss their ranch, tried to go help a neighbor evacuate their horses. The neighbor didn’t need help, so they headed back home to Bar S Ranch.

After they made a turn, the strong winds blew over the truck and trailer Dickerson was in. His father was driving. Neither was hurt.

They hopped in the truck driven by his mother, Stephanie. The trailer attached to that truck had also blown over, but the truck stayed upright.

The three Dickersons, along with Jayce Dickerson’s friend, didn’t make it much farther before flames reached out of the dense dust and covered the hood of the truck.

The 18-year-old said he could feel the heat inside the truck. His mother whipped the truck around, banked off the ditch and punched the gas.

“My mom was scared,” the youngest of the three Dickerson boys said. “Literally everyone was scared.”

They almost hit a fire truck and ran into the ditch a few more times as they outran the flames.

They passed their truck and trailer that had flipped over, which they later found charred, and went back to the neighbor’s house, where they drove out into a wheat field and parked at the top of a hill.

A fire truck and others were parked in the green wheat field as well. The greenery gave Dickerson some relief that the fire wouldn’t move as quickly there.

Firefighters planned to spray the vehicles and surroundings as the fire approached.

But it didn’t.

It moved by.

Fast.

Their pickup at the top of the hill was scorched. The mirrors, fenders and spare tire melted.

“That pickup is totaled now,” he said. “It was a blue pickup and now it’s black.”

Evacuating the ranch

Meanwhile, the family at the ranch was also running from the flames as it closed it on their home.

Ethan Dickerson, 21, had smelled the smoke long before the flames reached the ranch. He climbed a steep hill on the property to see what he could find. He could smell the smoke, but couldn’t see any flames. Visibility was about a half-mile, he said.

The smell got stronger and Dickerson, his grandparents, uncle and friends evacuated. He didn’t realize how close the flames were until they started to leave.

Flying gravel blinded them as they left and damaged the vehicles, he said.

“When I turned around, all I saw was fire,” he said.

He hit a deer on Highway 281 that was also trying to run from the flames. He kept going.

The next day, the family could see the carnage.

Cows, their livelihood, could be seen in the charred fields with their legs up in the air. They lost cattle in six different pastures. The worst toll was 50 cows and two-month-old calves in one pasture.

“I probably cried for two hours this morning,” Ethan Dickerson said. “Cows that I raised from the time they were hours old to now and to die this way. I can’t even imagine. It makes me sick.”

They are still hoping to find more cows, but he estimates 10% of the cows on their ranch — the largest cattle operation in the county — are dead. There’s more they’re not sure will make it.

“All of the cows have really, really bad smoke inhalation,” he said, adding the ranch horses suffered the same fate.

Two homes — his and his parents’ — burned along with outbuildings. Grady Dickerson, 23, the oldest son, said losing any of the buildings on the longtime family ranch is losing a piece of history.

They lost four dogs between the two homes. They lost 30 mares as well.

Ethan Dickerson said he was able to rescue their grandparents’ dog when he went back to check on the property Wednesday night.

He figures only a small percent of their ranch didn’t burn.

Support comes

It wasn’t all bad news come Thursday.

The headquarters remained and so did their grandparents’ house. Ethan Dickerson thought the dirt lot around it might have helped protect the home.

“I don’t understand how it is still standing,” he said.

Grady Dickerson was off at college when the flames hit. He rushed home when he heard what happened. The carnage was devastating, but the support has been overwhelming, he said.

People have brought semis of water and hay to try and keep their livestock alive. Their feed for the winter burned.

Veterinarians and cowboys have shown up to help with their cattle as well.

Donations have come from near and far. A Paradise Strong Facebook page started asking for donations Thursday to help the Dickersons and others affected. A comment on a GoFundMe page for the ranch says: “From our East Texas farm to yours. Hope this helps a little. Yall are in our prayers.”

They donated $3,000. The fundraiser has more than doubled its goal of $10,000.

“We’re really blessed to be part of the cattle industry and be part of an ag community,” Grady Dickerson said, adding it used to be something he took for granted. “Everybody here, it’s not a ‘I’ll be expecting a favor, it’s, of course, I’m here why wouldn’t I be?’”

Fires were still popping up Thursday night, but there were plenty of people around to help put them out.

Grady Dickerson, with the help of others, was able to find some cattle Thursday night. They were able to move them and others back into pastures where they belong.

“Any cow that you find is an integral part of what we do,” he said.

This story was originally published December 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.