Largest wildfire in Nebraska history leaves 1 dead, scorches over 640,000 acres as blazes continue to burn

NEBRASKA - The azygous largest wildfire successful Nebraska authorities past has scorched the Cornhusker State, burning implicit 640,000 acres and sidesplitting 1 arsenic the generational blaze continues to burn.

Across the state, hundreds of archetypal responders are successful enactment battling against aggregate raging blazes arsenic a historic occurrence outbreak explodes into a full-scale emergency, triggering evacuations portion threatening beingness and spot crossed impacted areas.

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The historical wildfire, coined the Morrill Fire, was archetypal discovered connected the greeting of March 13 and has since burned implicit 643,361 acres crossed a monolithic swath of occidental Nebraska, impacting Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith and Grant counties.

Numerous wildfires proceed to pain successful Nebraska arsenic hundreds of local, authorities and national archetypal responders conflict the historical fires.

(Brady Public Schools)

The authoritative origin of the wildfire is officially undetermined, arsenic hundreds of firefighting unit proceed to conflict the fire. As of Tuesday night, the blaze is 16% contained.

Amid what Governor Jim Pillen called "one of the worst earthy disasters successful Nebraska history," crews proceed to conflict galore wildfires that person killed astatine slightest 1 person.

The Morrill occurrence representation arsenic of March 18. The wildfire is present the largest azygous wildfire successful Nebraska authorities history, burning a full of 643,361 acres arsenic of March 17 astatine 1400 MT.

(Nebraska EMA / FOX Weather)

The deadly occurrence claimed the beingness of a Nebraska grandmother, 86-year-old Rose White, of Arthur, who died trying to flight the raging wildfire, Gov. Pillen announced successful a property league connected Saturday.

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Gov. Pillen declared a authorities of exigency successful effect to the devastating wildfires crossed impacted areas, arsenic precocious winds and debased humidity fueled the detonation of the occurrence earlier this week, prompting evacuations successful Nebraska and crossed authorities borders.

Governor Jim Pillen visited areas affected by the wildfires successful the central/western parts of Nebraska and received updates from section firefighters and subject officials astir Nebraska’s effect earlier this week.

(@TeamPillen / X)

On apical of hundreds of authorities and section occurrence departments and exigency effect agencies combating the raging blaze, members of the Nebraska National Guard person been deployed to assistance successful combating the raging blazes.

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"We are making progress, but the combat isn’t over. My acknowledgment to each the firefighters, guardsmen, aviators and others who are tirelessly moving the line, arsenic good arsenic everyone supporting them," Gov. Pillen wrote successful a station connected X connected Wednesday.

Dangerous upwind fuels wildfire frenzy

The historical Morrill Fire isn't the lone blaze burning crossed Nebraska arsenic unsafe occurrence upwind provided the indispensable ingredients for a frenzy of fires crossed the state.

As the Morrill Fire burns crossed occidental Nebraska, the Cottonwood Fire poses a unsafe menace to south-central Nebraska.

Historic fires proceed to blaze crossed occidental and cardinal Nebraska arsenic unsafe occurrence upwind has fueled detonation of galore fires.

(Sutherland Fire and Rescue)

First observed connected March 15, the Cottonwood Fire has burned 131,259 acres and is 40% contained arsenic of Tuesday night.

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In total, implicit 800,000 acres person been scorched crossed Nebraska arsenic galore wildfires person burned crossed the state, with section and authorities officials moving astir the timepiece to incorporate the fires amid the unprecedented outbreak.

In the aftermath of the devastating fires person Gov. Pillen signed an enforcement bid to supply exigency alleviation to farmers and ranchers that person had livestock provender and supplies "severely impacted."

"Nebraska’s producers are facing a existent request close now, and we person the work to basal with our farmers and ranchers," Gov. Pillen wrote connected X.

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Other notable fires successful the unsafe outbreak see the Road 203 Fire, which has scorched much than 35,000 acres crossed Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine Counties successful cardinal Nebraska and was 76% contained arsenic of Wednesday morning.

The Anderson Bridge Fire, which erupted March 12 successful the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest, has burned 17,400 acres and is 60% contained.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved Fire Management Assistance Grants to enactment effect efforts for wildfires successful Nebraska, on with further fires crossed respective Plains states. The backing is intended to assistance authorities and section authorities support lives and property.

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency received reports of 24 wildfires successful 24 hours connected Friday arsenic unsafe upwind concerns linger into the week.

One firefighter looks connected astatine the raging Cottonwood Fire that has burned implicit 130,000 acres successful cardinal Nebraska. 

(Gothenburg Fire Department / FOX Weather)

Red emblem warnings persist

Red Flag Warnings are successful spot crossed areas of occidental Nebraska done Wednesday and into Thursday arsenic the occurrence menace persists.

According to the National Weather Service, a Red Flag Warning means that captious occurrence upwind conditions are either occurring now, oregon volition shortly.

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A operation of beardown winds, debased comparative humidity, and lukewarm temperatures tin lend to utmost occurrence behavior.

Aerial views of wildfire fume successful Dawson County, Nebraska connected March 13, 2026. 

(@NSP_TroopD/X / FOX Weather)

Despite beardown winds processing arsenic expected connected Tuesday, neither the Merrill nor Cottonwood fires grew notably beyond their perimeters, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said.

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With temperatures up to 80 degrees, upwind gusts up to 30 mph and comparative humidity arsenic debased arsenic 17%, the ingredients for unsafe occurrence stay a interest arsenic the historical wildfire outbreak continues to endanger the Great Plains.

With the Morrill Fire, astatine astir 650,000 acres, and the Cottonwood Fire, implicit 120,000 acres, adjacent marginal upwind increases airs a important hazard to containment lines, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

In the vigor of the threat, the U.S. Wildland and Fire Service listed a fewer steps to assistance forestall wildfires and support your community:

• Check section occurrence restrictions.
• Avoid activities that could spark a occurrence connected hot, adust oregon windy days.
• Properly extinguish your campfires, drown, disturbance and acold to the touch.
• Secure tow chains and support your car tires afloat inflated.
• If debris burning is permissible successful your area, support piles tiny and pain lone nether due conditions.