By Nebraska Emergency Management Agency
Incident Transitions: Under the direction of the State of Nebraska, Rocky Mountain CIMT 2 will transfer management responsibility of the Ashby, Minor and Cottonwood Fires to local volunteer fire departments on Sunday, April 5, at 6 a.m. local time. At that time, local jurisdictions will also be responsible for the initial and ongoing suppression of any new fires that may start. The team, under the leadership of Incident Commander Jay Mickey, greatly appreciates the support it received from the State of Nebraska and the local communities affected by the wildfires.
After April 4, contact the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency public information officer at 402-326-3179 or nema.jic@nebraska.gov regarding the Ashby, Minor and Cottonwood Fires.
Initial Attack (IA): Statewide IA activity remained low Thursday.
- With transfer of command occurring Sunday, the six IA groups positioned in communities across the state will be demobilized from the incident in phases over the next few days.
- Until they are demobilized, firefighters will remain engaged and maintain a full state of readiness. They will be available to assist local volunteer fire departments, as needed and requested, with suppressing new wildfires.
- Nebraska National Guard’s two Black Hawk helicopters will remain in Ogallala Friday and assist the IA groups if needed. Saturday morning, they will return to their base in Lincoln. After April 5, Nebraska National Guard will have one flight crew on advanced readiness to expedite response if necessary. In addition, a Nebraska single-engine air tanker is stationed in Ainsworth to support local firefighters.
Ashby Fire: The 36,004-acre Ashby Fire was declared 100 percent contained on Thursday, April 2. Resources from an IA group will respond to any issue that may arise prior to the local fire department assuming responsibility on Sunday, April 5.
Minor Fire: The 14,082-acre Minor Fire was declared 100 percent contained Wednesday, April 1. Resources from an IA group will respond to any issue that may arise prior to the local fire department assuming responsibility on Sunday, April 5.
Cottonwood Fire: The 129,253-acre Cottonwood Fire was declared 100 percent contained on Friday, March 27. Firefighters patrolled and monitored the fire for an additional week, extinguishing interior flare-ups that threatened values at risk. Resources from an IA group will respond to any issue that may arise prior to local fire departments assuming responsibility on Sunday, April 5.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Due to high winds and low relative humidity, a Red Flag Warning is in effect Friday from noon to 7 p.m. MDT for some southwestern Nebraska counties. Rainfall amounts varied widely Wednesday. Some areas in the eastern part of the state received up to 1 inch of precipitation; but some areas in western Nebraska, such as Hyannis, received no precipitation. Expect critical fire weather Friday and Saturday, particularly in western Nebraska, as windy, dry conditions persist. Daytime temperatures will be closer to normal for early April. Woody vegetation—both living and dead—remains critically dry despite some parts of the state receiving moisture.