Battling wildfires on a red flag afternoon

BEATRICE – Multiple fire departments spent Saturday fighting wind-driven wildfires in southeast Nebraska.  

The largest fire broke out near Pickrell and advanced several miles over stubble fields and near fields not yet harvested. 

Firefighters from Pickrell, Cortland, Clatonia, Adams, Beatrice Rural and Firth Rural were among those trying to gain a hold on the fast-moving fires….which were pushed by southwest winds gusting to 40 miles per hour.

Bone dry conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures reaching the mid to upper 90s hampered efforts to control the blazes

One fire apparently started in the areas of South 58^th and Cherry Road, northeast of Pickrell…..it spread rapidly across several fields toward Nebraska Highway 41.

A second fire broke out after the initial blaze.  It was located near the village of Holmesville, southeast of Beatrice.  The flames were also pushed to the northeast.  

A third wildfire began near Odell, but Gage County Emergency Management said it was brough under control soon after.

In addition to water tanks and grass rigs used to fight the fires, several farmers used tractors pulling discs to cut fire lines in an attempt to gain control of the cross-country flames.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory just before three p.m., describing it as a dangerous wildfire.   It warned at that time that people should be ready to evacuate at moment’s notice.

It was not immediately known if Saturday’s fires in Gage County damaged or destroyed any structures.

The fires caused dense smoke across a wide rural area, reducing visibility to nearly zero in some areas.