By Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands
Chadron, Neb. — The South Fork Fire has been turned over to a Type 3 incident management team, made up largely of local resources and personnel from the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2, which previously managed the incident. As the incident right-sizes staffing, the incident command post has also returned to Crawford, NE - which is suitable for a command of this size. After more accurate mapping, the fire is now estimated at 39,696 acres, with 80 personnel currently assigned.
Crews continue to monitor areas of heavy fuels most at risk of retaining heat on the northwest edge of the burn area, but the focus has largely shifted to suppression repair. Suppression repair will take place in areas where firefighting operations caused damage, such as cut fencing and dozer lines.
The Burned Area Emergency Response team will begin field evaluations of the post‑fire area today, assessing soil health, watersheds, roads, trails and cultural resources to determine what needs to be addressed most urgently to ensure safety for the public and to support wildlife habitat. As a reminder, the Nebraska National Forest has issued an emergency closure order for the Soldier creek campground as these assessments will help to inform local forest staff of repairs needed to safely reopen the area, which they hope to do as quickly as possible. For continuing updates, please see Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Facebook Page, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system.