Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Firefighters Converge On Area As Reported 6,000 Acres Burn
A National Guard helicopter carries a container of water to dump on wildfire flames that charred a reported 6,000 acres in Banner and Morrill counties. Helicopters flew 141 flights, dropping 141,405 gallons of water.
Winds, rough terrain and hot dry weather contributed to the massive wildfire which started in Banner County and spread into Morrill County.
The fire started Thursday evening from a lightning strike and has produced smokey skies and nasty air quality for southern panhandle residents.
The fire, 23 miles northeast of Kimball, was about 95% contained Tuesday, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.
Known as the Hackberry Wildfire in the southeast portion of Banner County, the fire was said to have consumed close to 6,000 acres of grassland and pasture as of Tuesday.
For the first couple of days, 18 area departments from Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming responded to the fire and spent days and nights fighting the flames.
In addition, numerous departments from central and eastern Nebraska have answered the call to assist, including Dannebrog, Boelus, St. Paul, Farewell, Anselmo, Broken Bow, Callaway, Merna, Sargent, Arnold, Ansley, Wood River and Cairo
According to Great Plains Fire Information, the effort included several engines from Mutual Aide VFD response teams, three Single Engine Air Tankers, three National Guard helicopters, and a large tanker from Colorado.
