TOO MANY FIRES THURSDAY - STATEWIDE FIRE BAN ENACTED TODAY

Many field fires in Eastern Nebraska yesterday with the high winds and dry conditions making plenty of work for volunteer fire departments. Blair, Tekamah, Herman, Ponca Hills, Craig and many others all dealt with fires yesterday, a very large fire in Lancaster County in which some roadways were closed due to smoke which impaired visibility.

Governor Jim Pillen today declared a state of emergency in several Nebraska counties that are fighting wildfires. This declaration will allow for state emergency plans and funds to help fight those wild fires. Additional actions include state road graders to help with fire breaks, National guard troops to assist local firefighters, National Guard helicopters to do aerial firefighting and activates a state led Complex Incident Management team to coordinate responses. Those counties, so far, include Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith, Lincoln, Dawson and Frontier Counties. In Eastern Nebraska, most area volunteer fire departments had multiple calls to aid in combating wild fires. Those departments cited the appreciated help from local farmers helping disc fire breaks.