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Nebraska’s Largest Wildfire on Record Burns Out of Control Across Three Counties as 600,000 Acres Burn and Officials Warn of Strong Winds

LINCOLN, NE — Three major wildfires continued to spread across central and western Nebraska on Sunday, with officials saying the combined burn area had reached about 600,000 acres and that none of the fires was contained. The largest, the Morrill Fire, has grown into the biggest wildfire in state history, covering more than 460,000 acres across Morrill, Arthur and Keith counties.

Officials said the fires had killed one person in Arthur County on Thursday. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen declared a state of emergency to make additional resources available, and state leaders said crews were bracing for another difficult stretch as wind picked up over the fire zones.

Crews Add Resources

Pillen said at a Saturday news conference that he had deployed Nebraska National Guard troops to support local firefighters. Two Nebraska Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were also being used to help battle the flames, officials said.

He also called on the mayors of Omaha and Lincoln to send more personnel and equipment, and said he would reach out to nearby states, including Iowa, for additional help. Both city fire departments said they were sending crews and equipment to assist.

Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr., in comments to KETV, said his city stood ready to support residents and local crews in the affected counties while keeping its own emergency response fully staffed.

Fire Spread And Damage

The Morrill Fire is burning across parts of Morrill, Arthur and Keith counties and remains 0% contained, according to officials. The Cottonwood Fire has burned about 100,000 acres in Dawson County near Gothenburg, while the Road 203 Fire has burned more than 40,000 acres in Blaine and Thomas counties near Halsey.

State officials said all three fires were still at 0% containment as of Sunday. A storm moving across the Midwest was expected to bring snow to some areas, but forecasters said the Nebraska fire zones were likely to face dry and windy conditions instead.

What Happens Next

Officials said the windy weather was expected to make firefighting more difficult, with Pillen saying Saturday that the winds were supposed to be extraordinary. After touring the burn areas by helicopter, the governor urged Nebraskans to pray for the affected communities and the responders working the blazes.

Residents looking for the latest information should check updates from the Nebraska emergency management system and local fire officials in the affected counties. State leaders have not said when containment might improve, and no evacuation details were included in the information released Sunday.

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