BEATRICE – A southeast Nebraska wildfire broke out in the continued warm, dry, windy conditions north of Odell, Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters from departments in Odell, Diller, Wymore, Blue Springs and Beatrice Rural responded to a quickly moving fire north of the PWF Road, and east of Southwest 61st, commonly known as the Odell Blacktop.

The fire appeared to start in the middle of a soybean field about a half-mile north of the PWF, fanned by winds from the south, gusting to 25-miles-per-hour.

Grass rigs from the departments were fighting the flames in fields with fire personnel standing by at least one farm home and outbuildings to protect them, off West Olive Road to the north.

Several farmers were lined up with tractors and discs, helping to cut fire lines around the blaze trying to keep it from spreading.   Several of the fields in that area had already been harvested, but there was nearby corn and soybeans still in the field.   The fire eventually jumped over Olive Road.

There was also a report Thursday afternoon of a hotspot rekindling from a fire the past weekend.  That flare-up, in the Beatrice Rural Fire District was near South 36th Road and U.S. Highway 136, about three miles east of Beatrice.  Another hotspot rekindling was located along the Holmesville Road, near U.S. 136.

Beatrice Rural and a fire unit from the Homestead National Historical Park were sent to that location.