Five-generation ranching family navigates path forward after Morrill wildfire
With the Morrill wildfire consuming over 640,000 acres, the focus for local ranchers is shifting from survival to the uncertain future of their livestock.
OSHKOSH, Neb. — With the Morrill wildfire consuming over 640,000 acres, the focus for local ranchers is shifting from survival to the uncertain future of their livestock.
For Joe Van Newkirk, whose family has ranched for five generations, the loss is personal: four sections of summer pasture are gone. While the flames continue, Van Newkirk says the true toll of smoke and ash exposure won't be clear until the fall.
He offers a look at the difficult road ahead for the region's cattle industry.