Pillen declares emergency, mobilizes National Guard as wildfires burn across Nebraska
Gov. Jim Pillen issued an emergency proclamation Friday to unlock state resources and support the response to multiple wildfires
Photo courtesy: Bassett Volunteer Fire Department
Press release
LINCOLN, Neb. — Gov. Jim Pillen issued an emergency proclamation Friday to unlock state resources and support the response to multiple wildfires burning across central and western Nebraska.
State officials say the fires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across multiple counties and forced evacuations in nearby communities. Some roadways have also been closed because of low visibility caused by smoke and blowing dust.
“These fires present a significant and active danger, given current weather conditions,” Pillen said in a statement. “Anyone living within proximity to current wildfires are urged to heed communications issued by local authorities, including their respective county emergency management agencies.”
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency reported receiving 24 wildfire reports over the past 24 hours.
Major fires currently being tracked include the Road 203 Fire south of Halsey and Dunning in the Nebraska National Forest, which is being managed by federal authorities due to its location.
Other fires include the Lincoln County Fire, also known as the Cottonwood Fire, south of Interstate 80 near Brady and Gothenburg; the Morrill County Fire north of Highway 92 between Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Lake McConaughy; and the Anderson Bridge Fire west of Valentine.
State officials say strong winds worsened conditions late Thursday, allowing the fires to grow beyond the capacity of local responders.
In response, Pillen ordered several state resources to assist firefighting efforts.
Those actions include deploying 26 Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen to assist local crews, along with a fixed-wing fire suppression aircraft.
The state is also deploying a Nebraska Army National Guard helicopter to support firefighters with aerial water drops in areas where ground response is limited. A Nebraska Army and Air National Guard firefighting hand crew has also been activated to assist local departments.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation is sending several road graders to Oshkosh and surrounding areas to help create fire breaks aimed at slowing the spread of the fires.
Officials also activated a Complex Incident Management Team to coordinate response efforts for the Morrill County and Lincoln County fires, which officials say have burned more than 300,000 acres and 50,000 acres respectively.
The State Emergency Operations Center has also been activated at NEMA headquarters in Lincoln to provide centralized coordination among responding agencies.
The Nebraska State Patrol has been assisting with evacuations and traffic control in affected areas.
Pillen is expected to take an aerial tour of fire-impacted areas this weekend. Additional information about the tour will be released when it becomes available.
