FREMONT, Neb. (WOWT/Gray News) – A 25-year tradition among a fire department in Nebraska nearly ended after someone stole a Hamburglar head from a firefighter’s front yard.
Maggie Woodcock said her husband, Blake, a Fremont Rural Fire Department firefighter, noticed movement on their security camera at 4:36 a.m. Friday. Doorbell video from their front porch shows a man approaching the 3-foot-tall Hamburglar statue and running off with it.
“Well, initially it was just a kick in the gut, because a 25-year tradition essentially could’ve ended with us,” Woodcock said.
The 25-year tradition involves a firefighter being chosen at random every year and surprised with the 100-pound head of the Hamburglar, one of the characters introduced by McDonald’s in 1971. The requirement is that it then needs to stay in the firefighter’s front yard all year.
“It’s a Fremont Rural Fire Department tradition. There’s kind of some lore behind it,” Woodcock said. “It started off as a joke, but then it kind of became their little traveling trophy.”
Word of the theft quickly traveled through the city of Fremont. Woodcock learned about the possible thief and went to an apartment complex to confront him.
“So I just stopped over and knocked on the door,” Woodcock said.
Video caught Woodcock demanding the return of the statue while the suspect denied taking it. However, a child in the apartment revealed the statue’s location.
“He denied it, but luckily there was a child in the apartment who decided to be like ‘Oh, it’s right here,’ and he confessed to it,” Woodcock said. “It’s right over there in the corner, and it was quite literally wrapped up in a tarp in the corner with a plant on top. It was a nice plant holder.”
Woodcock and her friend carried the heavy statue back to their home. The statue sustained minimal damage and Woodcock said she will not be pressing charges.
“It’s not anything of value per say, but it is valuable to us,” Woodcock said. “It’s silly and weird, but just something everyone finds enjoyable.”
Copyright 2026 WOWT via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.