Four active wildfires in Nebraska — including the largest ever recorded in the state — continue to burn out of control. With containment efforts hampered by volatile weather, the fires grew beyond the capacity of local fire responders and firefighters; Saturday, the Rocky Mountain Complex incident management team, run by the federal National Interagency Fire Center, assumed management of the two largest fires, the Morrill Fire and the Cottonwood Fire.
High winds, low humidity and dry conditions triggered the wildfires Thursday, March 12. On Friday, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) received 24 reports of wildfires in 24 hours. Crews have worked through the weekend to battle the four fires, but the weather hampered suppression efforts.
As of Tuesday evening, the approximate acres burned and current containment (according to Watch Duty) include:
- Morrill Fire (Keith, Arthur, Grant, Garden and Morrill counties)
- Acres burned — 643,360 acres
- Containment — 18%
- Origin — downed power pole and line in gusty winds near Angora on Thursday, March 12
- Watch Duty link
- This is the largest fire in Nebraska history.
- Cottonwood Fire (Dawson, Lincoln and Frontier counties, south of Interstate 80, near Brady and Gothenburg)
- Acres burned — 131,259 acres
- Containment — 40%
- Watch Duty link
- The Road 203 Fire (Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine counties, south of the communities of Halsey and Dunning within the Nebraska National Forest)
- Acres burned — 35,912.6 acres
- Containment — 76%
- Watch Duty link
- The Anderson Bridge Fire (Cherry County, west of Valentine)
- Acres burned — 17,400
- Containment — 60%
- Watch Duty link
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Friday issued an emergency proclamation to unlock state resources and support the response to multiple wildfires in central and western Nebraska. He also issued a statewide burn ban prohibiting burning until 11:59 p.m. March 27 to help reduce the potential for additional wildfires in Nebraska.
A high wind warning is in effect until 6 p.m. MDT Monday. High rates of fire spread are possible with northwest wind gusts in excess of 50 mph expected. It has snowed on the northwest side of the Morrill Fire, but with the strong winds it may not mitigate fire behavior. With low temperatures forecast to be under 10°F tonight, firefighters must take special precautions to protect their engines and equipment, such as draining water, parking inside and using antifreeze.
While temperatures are cold today, hot and dry weather is forecast later in the week with record temperatures possible. The area is experiencing significant drought, and fuels are cured and receptive to fire.
Resources Available
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is concentrating efforts on assisting farm and ranch families and their livestock.
Producers who have been impacted by the wildfire and need hay, feedstuffs, fencing materials, volunteer help or equipment, should call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550. Be prepared to share your name, contact information, location (including county), what assistance you are seeking and how urgent your need is.
A list of disaster relief resources for Nebraska farmers and ranchers is also available online at: https://nda.nebraska.gov/disasterresources. This website includes links to USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs including the Livestock Indemnity Program and information from the Nebraska Extension.
How Can Others Help?
According to NDA, Nebraska has been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support for its producers. If you have hay, feed, fencing materials, equipment or household supplies you are willing to donate, please contact the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 1-800-831-0550. Be prepared to share your name, contact information and what you have that you are willing to donate and the amount, along with your location.
NDA staff will be gathering this information, identifying needs and sharing where resources can be obtained.
The Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association is also working to coordinate and gather resources for producers.
A Facebook page, Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief, was created to support the ranching families affected by the wildfire.
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