By Nebraska National Forest Service
CHADRON, Neb. — The Ash Pole Fire is now 90 percent contained, and fire managers’ report that this morning’s moisture, combined with cooler temperatures, is aiding progress toward full containment.
A further reduction of resources is expected by the end of today; however, some heavily fueled areas are still holding heat. The northwest portion of the fire line, which has not yet been declared contained, consists of particularly heavy fuels and rugged terrain, requiring extra caution as crews work toward full containment.
Updated mapping shows the Ash Pole Fire at 1,028 acres. There has been no loss of structures. A significant amount of dead and downed fuel remaining from the 2012 West Ash Fire has been consumed, which is expected to improve the area’s long‑term fire resilience.
The newly burned area will be evaluated by a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team. The team will assess any post fire damage concerns related to the forest’s natural ability to rehabilitate the understory and support healthy habitat and rangeland, safety concerns for forest users and critical cultural resources.
Daily updates will continue to be available via Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Facebook page and the Ash Pole Fire InciWeb page as notable changes arise.
Fire managers again express their gratitude to the cooperators, volunteers and surrounding communities for their ongoing support throughout this incident.