With more than 800,000 acres of Nebraska scorched, ranchers are rallying together to overcome loss and support one another. From grass to hay to structures and water tanks, the loss across the state is monumental.
The rally of ranchers began when the fires sparked a week ago, as neighbors helped neighbors working to slow down the tornado-like wildfires as they tore across the Sandhills in the Morrill Fire and through the canyons of the Cottonwood Fire.
There are multiple stories of local fire departments, neighbors and family members creating fire breaks and helping move livestock and equipment out of danger zones.
“We’ve had a remarkable, unprecedented response to stop this fire and we will come up with an equally innovative solution for recovery,” says Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton.
Vinton had a chance to fly over the fire-charred area Tuesday.
“It was blowing sand,” she says. “It looks like the Sahara.”
Oshkosh, Neb., rancher Joe Van Newkirk of Van Newkirk Herefords describes the former lush Nebraska Sandhills like a moonscape.
While no official livestock death losses have been reported, NDA says the scale of the impact is significant. Vinton explains the burned acreage represents a major hit to the state’s cattle capacity, particularly in the area of the Morrill Fire.
“If we say it’s roughly 600,000 acres, that’s a grazing resource for 35,000 cows,” Vinton says.
Vinton frames the recovery as a statewide promise to keep multigenerational ranches and their herds together even after hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland have burned, plus the loss of hay, fence, structures and so much more.
Containment Improves, Yet 4 Fires Continue
Crews made a lot of progress containing the fires Wednesday. As of Friday morning, the approximate acres burned and current containment (according to Watch Duty) include:
- Morrill Fire (Keith, Arthur, Grant, Garden and Morrill counties, near Lake McConaughy)
- Acres burned — 643,361
- Containment — 98%
- 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 — 128,036
- Containment — 80%
- 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
- Containment — 80%
- Watch Duty link
- The Anderson Bridge Fire (Cherry County, in the northeast portion of the Samuel McKelvie National Forest southwest of Valentine)
- Acres burned — 17,400
- Containment — 60%
- Watch Duty link
A warming and drying trend will peak on Saturday, with 90-degree temperatures and single-digit relative humidity expected. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team managing the fires reports that these extreme weather conditions have potential to increase fire activity within fire perimeters as unburned vegetation ignites and readily burns. The team stressed in its Thursday morning update any new fires would likely spread rapidly.
Last week, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued a statewide burn ban prohibiting burning until 11:59 p.m. March 27 to help reduce the potential for additional wildfires in Nebraska.
Ranchers Helping Ranchers
While the stories of ranchers helping each other during the intense fire danger on Thursday and Friday are moving, that commitment to helping one another continues long after the smoke cleared.
“That’s what ranchers do, right? They help each other,” says Sara Cover. “It’s too hard to do it alone ... that’s how they have functioned in this area for hundreds of years.”
Cover is one of the Sandhills ranchers who is helping with recovery efforts and the Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief group, which is providing boots-on-the-ground assistance in coordinating donations of hay, supplies and financial support.
“Half these firefighters are volunteer firefighters that also had cows calving at home,” Cover explains. “So, it’s also the self-sacrifice of leaving your ranch during the busiest time of year to go help others.”
Many Sandhills ranchers have their own fire rig, so Cover explains in many cases the husbands would leave and go fight fire, leaving their wives and kids home calving cows. There are other examples of multiple generations — grandparents, parents and kids — all working together to fight the fires.
“It just takes everybody,” Cover says.
Paul Cleveland is coordinating hay donations for the group.
As of Wednesday, Cleveland estimates the group has received 150 loads of hay and have four times that committed. The group’s goal is to get at least enough hay to get through calving season.
“The outpouring of support is phenomenal,” Cleveland says. “Hay is the immediate concern. We’re in the heart of calving season here, and the stress on these cows is off the charts. They truly know what it’s like to go through hell.”
He says the main challenge right now is not a lack of goodwill but rather information overload and logistics; he says he is “100 messages behind” responding to those who have reached out to support.
“Processing all the information is the biggest battle we have right now, and we need a lot of patience from people,” he stresses. “We’re not ignoring them, we’re trying to get back to them as fast as we can.”
The Nebraska fires follow February wildfires that burned more than 283,000 acres in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas.
Cleveland says a rancher from Kansas, who was in the same role as he is now about a month earlier when fires hit that area, reached out to him and has been a strong emotional support and source of knowledge. Other ranchers report wildfire survivors, who have benefited from fellow ranchers donating hay and supplies, have reached out and offered to donate and pay the support forward.
It is those examples of care and concern from across the country that makes the beef industry so special.
Resources and Services Available
NDA is concentrating efforts on assisting farm and ranch families and their livestock. On the NDA website are lists of individuals requesting assistance and those offering donations.
Vinton shares her deep appreciation for what Nebraska ranchers do and says local, state and federal partners are actively working on solutions. She welcomes innovative ideas and invites producers to share their unmet needs directly with her team at NDA.
Those impacted by the fire are encouraged, before starting to repair or rebuild fence lines, to review federal aid requirements that could impact eligibility for assistance. Contact the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to understand qualification rules.
A portal to match grass and pen space with those in need has been developed. The platform was designed to help connect those needing to relocate livestock with those who have extra capacity.
There are numerous resources available as producers evaluate livestock after a wildfire. The danger to livestock doesn’t end when the flames are extinguished. While the immediate destruction is visible, the microscopic threat of wildfire smoke can linger in a calf’s lungs for weeks, triggering a cascade of physiological stress and immune suppression.
Craig Uden, Nebraska Cattlemen Association (NCA) president, was a guest on AgriTalk Thursday, sharing an update on the wildfires and how NCA is helping coordinate resources for ranchers in need.
How to Help
Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund
- Mail monetary donations to: 4611 Cattle Dr., Lincoln, NE 68521-4309
- Online donations: nebraskacattlemen.org/disaster-relief-fund
Nebraska Sandhills Rancher Fire Relief
- Mail monetary donations to: P.O. Box 291, Oshkosh, NE 69154
- Online donations: kearneyfoundation.fcsuite.com/.../create/fund...
Volunteer fire departments were central to the response, often stretched thin, needing more funds and equipment maintenance support after days of nonstop firefighting. Nebraska Athletics announced Tuesday it will donate all ticket proceeds from Nebraska’s spring football game on March 28 to aid Nebraska wildfire relief efforts to help provide support to Nebraska’s volunteer firefighters for equipment, resources and recovery efforts.
“Nebraskans always step up in times of need, and we want to do our part to help our fellow Nebraskans affected by these wildfires,” says Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen.
Their Simple Request: Prayers and Hope
As individual ranchers report losing thousands of acres of grazing land, plus extensive fence and water system damage, they continue to speak of hope and optimism. They ask for prayers for snow or rain to help the Sandhills repair from the devastation. They all seem to share the determination to persevere.
“They’re the toughest, truest form of an American there is, and they’ll be fine,” Cleveland says about the Sandhills rancher. “They’ll persevere, but it’s going to be a long year for this area.”
Watch for rancher stories of resilience through the fires next week on Drovers.com, as we continue to cover this unprecedented wildfire season.
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