KHAS Weather
Governor tours wildfire damage near Niobrara
Firefighters hope more favorable weather will help efforts to beat the flames back as the wildfires burning in north-central Nebraska continue to grow.
The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency says the main Fairfield Creek fire just west of Springview expanded overnight to more than 104 square miles from 92 square miles Tuesday. Two other smaller fires about 20 miles east of the main fire had burned nearly nine square miles by Wednesday morning. Authorities expect to get more help from the weather today. No rain is expected, but winds will be much lighter and the humidity will be higher. The Niobrara National Scenic River reports those three fires have now burned a total of more than 72,000 acres, and as of Wednesday morning are about 25 percent contained. Since lightning started the first fire on Friday, bazes have destroyed ten homes, mostly in Norden, and threatened 80 structures. Volunteer evacuations are still in place for Meadville. And three minor injuries are associated with the fire. Governor Dave Heineman met with firefighters battling the blazes near the Ainsworth area Tuesday and surveyed the damage. Much of the area burning is rugged forested land around the Niobrara River. Currently, there are about 240 federal, state, and local personnel fighting the fires. |
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