GARDEN COUNTY, Neb. — Nebraska State Sen. Paul Strommen toured areas impacted by the massive Morrill Fire on Saturday as the historic wildfire continued burning across western Nebraska.

Strommen met with firefighters and emergency officials at departments in Keystone-Lemoyne, Arthur, Hyannis and Oshkosh to assess the situation and hear directly from crews battling the blaze.

The Morrill Fire has burned more than 572,082 acres across Morrill, Garden, Keith, Arthur and Grant counties, making it the largest wildfire in Nebraska history and is the fifth largest fire ever recorded in the United States (1st is the Taylor Complex Fire in 2004 at 1,305,000 acres).

Authorities say the fire began Thursday when strong winds knocked down a power pole near Angora, igniting dry grasslands.

To put the size into perspective, 572,082 acres is roughly 894 square miles — an area larger than cities such as Houston or Phoenix, more than twice the size of New York City, six times the size of Omaha and nearly the size of Rhode Island.

Strommen said the sheer size of the fire has made coordination between responding agencies extremely difficult.

“What we’ve learned from the fire departments is that they are all trying to work in coordination with each other, which is extremely difficult with the amount of space that this fire has taken up,” Strommen said. “When you’re looking at the size of this fire it’s about 500,000 acres or about 800 square miles, which is just an extraordinarily large amount of area.”

Fire crews from Nebraska, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming are assisting in the response. The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency says about 30 Nebraska National Guard members have also been deployed to help combat wildfires across the region.

Despite the large-scale response, Strommen said limited access to remote areas and dangerous winds have created additional challenges for firefighters.

“One of the big issues they’re facing right now is the lack of access to a lot of this area,” he said. “One of the big concerns was can we get helicopters and planes in here. With the winds picking up the way that they are, they’re not going to be able to do that. It’s going to be ground crews.”

The National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning Sunday across much of Nebraska, with gusts up to 60 mph possible and periods of blowing snow.

Evacuations were previously ordered in several communities around the north side of Lake McConaughy, including Lewellen, Cedar View and Omaha Beach, as well as ranch homes south of Bingham. The Keith County Sheriff’s Office said all remaining evacuation orders in the county were lifted at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Officials confirmed one fatality connected to the fire. Rose White of Arthur County died during the wildfire.

The fire has also raised concerns about long-term impacts on the region’s ranching economy.

“How this is going to affect the cattle market, because this is all feed,” Strommen said. “Everything that you’re looking at behind us is feed and when this is gone it’s going to be extremely problematic for the ranchers up here.”

Despite the destruction, Strommen said community support for firefighters and affected residents has been overwhelming.

“That’s one of the most impressive things since we’ve been out here today is the outpouring of local support,” he said. “You’ve got landowners, ranchers and everybody and their brother coming out here to assist and try to help.”

Strommen said donations of food, water and supplies have been pouring into fire departments and staging areas across the region.

“This is the largest fire the state of Nebraska has ever seen,” he said. “We need as much support as we can possibly get.”

Fundraising effort launched to support ranching families impacted by Morrill Fire

GARDEN COUNTY, Neb. — A community-led fundraising effort is being organized to support ranching families impacted by the massive Morrill Fire that burned hundreds of thousands of acres across western Nebraska.

Organizers say the effort is aimed at helping families recover after the historic wildfire destroyed grazing land, fencing and other resources critical to Sandhills ranch operations.

The Morrill Fire, which began near Angora after a power line was knocked down in strong winds, has burned more than 550,000 acres across Morrill, Garden, Keith, Arthur and Grant counties, making it the largest wildfire in Nebraska history.

Community members say the fundraising effort is designed to provide direct financial support to ranchers affected by the fire.

“The families affected are not strangers — they are our neighbors and friends,” organizers said in a social media post announcing the effort. “Every acre lost here represents someone’s home, livelihood and legacy.”

Organizers are working with a nonprofit organization to establish a centralized donation system so contributions can be distributed directly to impacted families.

They expect to finalize the nonprofit’s 501(c)(3) status and begin accepting donations Monday.

Funds raised will help cover recovery needs for ranching operations, including hay and feed for livestock, fencing materials, transportation costs and other supplies needed to rebuild after the fire.

Organizers say the goal is to create a single, trusted donation location to prevent confusion and reduce the risk of scams as the community rallies to help those affected.

“The outpouring of support from neighbors, friends and the broader agricultural community has already been incredible,” organizers said. “Thank you for standing with the Sandhills and helping us support the ranching families who need it most.”

Additional information on how to donate is expected to be released once the nonprofit partnership is finalized.