Firefighters working to stop Nebraska wildfire that killed retired fire chief
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP/KOLN) - Officials say firefighters are taking advantage of higher humidity and calmer winds Monday to try to contain a wildfire in rural southwestern Nebraska that has killed one person and injured at least 15 firefighters.
According to the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team, the fire burned nearly 65 square miles in Red Willow, Furnas and Frontier counties by late Sunday. At least six homes have been destroyed.
The man who died Friday night was working with firefighters as a spotter in Red Willow County. Alyssa Sanders with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said that 66-year-old John P. Trumble of Arapahoe, who was a retired Cambridge fire chief, was overcome by smoke and fire after his vehicle left the road.
Officials estimate it could take until Sunday for the fire to be fully contained. Incident Commander Dan Dallas said there are many pockets of vegetation that may ignite as winds shift or increase. Firefighters, supported by helicopters and drone pilots, continue to extinguish hotpots in brushy areas and near structures.
The public is asked to continue to avoid the Road 702 Fire area and to use caution when driving in areas with reduced visibility due to smoke and dust.
Multiple communities were evacuated along the path of the wildfire. There are currently no evacuation orders in place.
The wildfire began in Kansas Friday afternoon and grew in a narrow strip up to the Republican River in Nebraska, covering approximately 28 miles rapidly. The general location of the fire is eight miles southwest of Cambridge in Furnas County.
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