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The biggest threat of damaging wildfires could be shifting to an unusual part of the state this summer dry weather is causing the state’s wildfire experts to focus away from northwest and north central Nebraska.
Firefighters are still putting out the remnants of more than 20 wildfires in north central Nebraska, including the Brush Creek fire that burned 6600 acres last week. While they’re doing that, they’re keeping an eye on an unusual part of the state that usually doesn’t deal with wildfire threats. Seth Peterson is a fire management specialist with the Nebraska Forest Service.
“Right now, the northeast part of the state is the driest location in the state if you look at the drought monitor,” Fire management specialist with the Nebraska Forest Service Seth Peterson said. “That area that’s right along the Niobrara River and a bunch of other drainages that flow into the Niobrara River, if that area doesn’t get any more rain or anything, they could see fire that they’re not used to in that part of the state.”
He said they’re expecting a busy fire season and thinks the addition of a single-engine air tanker a few years ago that drops thousands of gallons of retardant on fires has helped the state’s wildfire efforts.
“Ever since the fires in 2012 the state has really stepped-up and provided more resources for our volunteer firefighters,” Peterson said. “The volunteer firefighters are the people that really go out and put out those fires. Since 2012, the state not provides that single-engine air tanker.”
The tanker has been moved to Valentine this year to be closer to the northeast part of the state. He said the aircraft flew 156 missions last year.