Fort Robinson slowly reopening as crews get nearby South Fork Fire under containment

Crews are getting more of a handle on the 39,000-acre South Fork Fire in northwestern Nebraska a week after it ignited just west of Fort Robinson. As the smoke is starting to lift, park management at Fort Robinson is starting to open back up its largest state park that was suddenly evacuated when flames raced toward it on June 10.

Officials monitoring the fire say they’ve reached 64% containment as of Monday night. Crews said Tuesday morning they were still maintaining a presence around Fort Robinson as visitors start to return to the park. A spokesperson with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission said the park has received many calls about reservation changes.

The commission said Tuesday that park managers at Fort Robinson are keeping operations limited. The park’s lodge, cabins, activity center, Sutler Store, Post Playhouse, restaurant and historical tours have reopened to visitors. The Fort Robinson History Center and the Trailside Museum, which are managed by the Nebraska Historical Society and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, respectively, are also reopened.

Even though the fire crept close to the park’s historic buildings, the commission said the park’s main complex – including the historic fort buildings, lodging facilities, Mare Barn, stables, Sutler Store and museums, Post Playhouse, campgrounds, and livestock — was not damaged by the fire.

But a few notable park excursions will remain closed for the time being, given the charred landscape that now encompasses much of the park. Horse trail rides, stagecoach rides, Jeep rides, tube rides, bison cookouts and hiking trails will remain closed. The commission said those park opportunities are either still affected by fire operations or are located in areas with limited access. The commission said officials will update the reopening timelines for those adventures on the commission’s website.

People visiting the park or driving in the areas are asked to not stop on U.S. Highway 20 since it remains a critical transportation and access point for fire crews.

Fire crews said Tuesday that they will be tested on Wednesday when higher wind gusts, warmer temperatures and lower humidity move in. They’re asking people to be vigilant about smoke, check their vehicles for dragging chains and be cognizant of burn bans.

The South Fork Fire is the latest large wildfire to burn through western Nebraska. It follows the mammoth Morrill Fire that spanned more than 600,000 acres and the Cottonwood fire that burned more than 100,000 acres. Both ignited around the same time and strained Nebraska’s resources as they tore through drought-stricken fields.

Nebraska’s record-breaking wildfire year has also ignited debates about fireworks bans and how different counties are handling burn bans.