Wildfire hoped to be contained by weekend

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Story Created: Jul 26, 2012 at 11:58 AM CDT

Story Updated: Jul 26, 2012 at 12:30 PM CDT

Officials are optimistic they'll be able to contain the massive wildfires in north-central Nebraska soon and all of the scenic Niobrara River will likely be open to boating and tubing this weekend.

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency spokesman Mike Wight said Thursday morning that the evacuation orders for the small towns of Norden and Meadville were lifted and Highway 12 reopened.

Wight says the fires were about 50 percent contained last night,
and that number may improve when this morning's estimate is released.

The complex of three fires in north-central Nebraska that lightning started last Friday had burned more than 113 square miles of land by Wednesday night.

That's almost as big as the state's largest city of Omaha.

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