Bovee wildfire forces evacuations near Nebraska National Forest

Oct. 3, 2022, 9 a.m. ·

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The Bovee fire ignited Sunday, Oct. 2 in the Nebraska National Forest. Nearby residents were forced to evacuate as it grew to 15,000 acres by Monday morning. Photo courtesy of Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands.

Officials with Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands said a wildfire ignited Sunday in the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. The fire grew to 15,000 acres by Sunday evening, forcing evacuations of residents around Halsey and the closure of Highway 2 between Thedford and Dunning in west central Nebraska.

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Residents near Halsey, Nebraska were evacuated Sunday as federal and volunteer firefighters battled the Bovee Fire in the Nebraska National Forest. Photo from Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands.

There are no reports of injuries or confirmation of what started the fire. The Bovee fire continues Nebraska's busy wildfire season. Earlier this spring, nearly 4,200 acres burned at the national forest.

The Carter Canyon fire destroyed eleven buildings and two homes when it ignited July 30. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said Nebraska's devastating drought helped fuel the fire to grow 13,000 acres within the first six hours of burning.

Earlier this year, the Road 702 fire in southwest Nebraska killed one firefighter and injured four people. It swept across 44,000 acres between Nebraska's Red Willow, Furnas and Frontier counties, as well as Kansas' Phillips and Norton counties.

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Nebraska 4-H says one of its historic camps was destroyed by the 15,000-acre Bovee fire in west Central Nebraska.