The Colby Free Press Thomas County Thursday October 1, 1914 Old Time Prairie Fire. A real old time prairie fire was in evidence for a short time on Tuesday of this week a few miles southwest of Colby. It seems that a spark from a threshing machine started the fire and it burned unchecked for awhile through the heavy grass in the pastures in that vicinity. We understand that it destroyed about two sections of fine pasture for the farmers out in the McGinley neighborhood but as far as we have learned that was the only damage done as there was no wheat or buildings that were destroyed. This is a rare occurence here now but a few years ago before the country was broken up they were a quite common thing. Several went out from town in autos to take a hand in fighting it and after the crowd all go busy it was of short duration.