Governor Jim Pillen has authorized the Nebraska National Guard to send 29 soldiers and airmen to assist local volunteer fire departments, which are currently battling the Plum Creek Fire northwest of Ainsworth.
Nebraska Army National Guard aerial resources have also been authorized to support the firefighting mission. The assignment of state resources is in response to a request received Tuesday evening through the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency to assist local volunteer firefighters who have been fighting the fire since Monday.
The Plum Creek Fire is now estimated to have burned 6,600 acres. Forty-five cattle have died and a cabin has been destroyed. The cause of the fire has been attributed to a permitted burn that got out of control.
Pillen has also issued a statewide burn ban during a news conference at the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency today, alongside other state officials. He emphasized the persistent dry conditions that have continued to plague the state.
“It’s way too dry in Nebraska right now, and it only takes one burn, one mistake and then you have a situation like we have in Plum Creek. The risks are too significant,” Pillen says. The Nebraska Army National Guard is providing two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and a ground crew of 16 to assist with fire suppression.
“We appreciate the willingness of our soldiers and airmen, as well as their families and employers, to support these local volunteer firefighters as they work tirelessly to control this wildfire,” says Col. Shane Varejcka, Nebraska National Guard chief of the joint staff.
Nebraska Forest Service