Over 700,000 acres of land burn as Nebraska battles largest fires in state history

Four wildfires have burned nearly 750,000 acres of land in central and western Nebraska collectively, the largest in the state’s history that has resulted in one death, closed roads and a declared state of emergency, officials said.

The Morrill, Cottonwood, Anderson Bridge and Road 203 fires have burned a collective 747,167 acres of land in the state as of Monday with 0% containment, according to officials and data from wildfire tracking app Watch Duty.

While a Monday update on the Morrill and Cottonwood fires states there was little to no activity on the fires’ perimeters, crews are still prepping for upcoming Red Flag conditions and the impact of a significant drought in the area.

As the fires continue to rage across parts of the state, here’s what to know.

Nebraska enters state of emergency, requests aid

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen issued an emergency proclamation on Friday response to the fire, deploying 29 state National Guard soldiers and airmen to assist local fire crews with a fixed-wing fire suppression aircraft, two Nebraska Army National Guard helicopters and a crew to fight the fires with aerial water drops.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency also requested and received approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a Fire Management Assistance Grant, which will support efforts to mitigate, manage and control fires on public or private forests or grasslands. That assistance may help recover some of the costs associated with the state’s ongoing fire response, according to Pillen.

The Nebraska cities of Lincoln and Omaha, as well as the neighboring state of Iowa have also deployed crews to the affected parts of Nebraska to assist local fire crews. Pillen has repeatedly called for prayers and pledged the state will continue fighting the fires in a social media post on March 16.

“Nebraska will keep battling these fires. We have the resolve and grit to get through this – together,” Pillen wrote March 16.

“Resources and firefighting teams from across the state have been mobilized. Please continue to pray for our firefighters on the frontline, the families whose lives are being upturned, and the producers who are working around the clock to protect their operations and livestock,” Pillen wrote.

Pillen also confirmed that the fire killed one person in the western Nebraska county of Arthur at a news conference on March 14, ABC News reported.

Where are the fires in Nebraska?

The four fires are located throughout central and western Nebraska, according to officials:

• The Morrill Fire is the biggest, impacting Keith, Arthur, Grant, Garden and Morrill counties and burning 572,804 acres so far, according to a March 16 Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team update.
• The Cottonwood Fire is the second largest, impacting Dawson, Lincoln and Frontier counties and burning 122,144 acres so far, according to a March 16 Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team update.
• The Road 203 Fire, impacting Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine counties and burning 35,814 acres so far, according to a March 16 Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team update.
• The Anderson Bridge Fire, impacting Cherry County and burning 16,405 acres as of March 14, according to Watch Duty.

Much of Nebraska remains under a Red Flag warning and/or a fire weather watch, according to the National Weather Service, as parts of the state braces for gusts of wind and humidity that could lead to fires spreading.