2026 Nebraska wildfires
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 2026 Nebraska wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the Morrill Fire on March 14 | |
| Season | |
← 2025 |
The 2026 Nebraska wildfires are a series of active wildfires currently ongoing in Nebraska.
While "fire season" varies every year in Nebraska, most wildfires occur in between February and April. However, there is an increasing fire danger in the late winter months. Fire conditions can be exacerbated by drought, strong winds, and vegetation growth. Climate change is leading to increased temperatures, lower humidity levels, and drought conditions are happening more often. Additionally, warmer temperatures and less precipitation can result in less snowmelt, further contributing to bad wildfire conditions.[1] The previous winter (2025-2026) was one of the warmest and driest on record in Nebraska, increasing the risk of wildfires.[2]
List of wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.
| Name | County | Acres | Start date | Containment date | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road 203 | Blaine, Thomas | 35,892 | March 12 | March 25 | [3] | |
| Anderson Bridge | Cherry | 17,229 | March 12 | March 23 | [4] | |
| Morrill | Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith | 643,074 | March 12 | March 25 | Caused evacuations for Lewellen and areas around Lake McConaughy. Ran over 100 miles in one day. Largest recorded single wildfire in modern state history. | [5] |
| Cottonwood | Dawson, Lincoln, Frontier | 129,253 | March 12 | March 27 | Caused evacuations for Farnam and surrounding areas. Second largest recorded wildfire in state history. | [6] |
| Ashby | Sheridan, Grant, Garden, Cherry | 36,004 | March 26 | April 2 |
Caused evacuations for Ashby and Hyannis. | [7][8] |
| Minor | Grant | 14,082 | March 26 | April 1 | [9] | |
| Pressey | Custer | 8,953 | April 22 | 0% |
Burning north of Oconto. | [10][11] |
| Daly | McPherson | 2,500 | April 22 | 0% |
Burning 18 miles (29 km) west of Tryon. | [12] |
| Vasa | Arthur | 2,100 | April 22 | 0% |
Burning north of Keystone. | [13] |
| Peterson | Holt | 1,000 | April 22 | 0% |
[14] |
References
- ↑ "The Great Plains now have 'wildfire years,' not seasons, as blazes start and spread earlier". Nebraska Public Media. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
- ↑ Ourada, Jackie (April 23, 2026). "'Nothing remotely close to it': Nebraska grappling with warmest, driest drought on record". Nebraska Public Media. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Road 203 Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Anderson Bridge Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Morrill Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Cottonwood Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ↑ Tillman, Tyra (March 26, 2026). "Wildfire triggers evacuation order in Grant County". KETV Omaha. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- ↑ Ourada, Jackie (April 23, 2026). "Pressey Fire burning 9,000 acres near Broken Bow with no containment". Nebraska Public Media. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Pressey Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Daly Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Vasa Fire map". Watch Duty. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Peterson Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
| North America |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| South America | |||
| Oceania |
| ||
