Lightning sparks fire near Rushville

RUSHVILLE, Neb. - Firefighters battled the Mariah Fire over the weekend, approximately 15 miles north of Rushville.

Rushville Fire Chief Keith Wellnitz said they received a call about the fire on Saturday afternoon. Crews worked until about 10 p.m. that night to extinguish it. Landowners then took over on Sunday, with firefighters returning that evening for mop-up operations.

The fire, believed to have been caused by lightning, burned around 20 acres of pasture land.

“We’re getting pretty dry near Rushville, and we’re also starting to get more lightning with minimal rain,” Wellnitz said.

News Channel Nebraska has reported on several fires in the area, including one near Whiteclay that burned around 200 acres.

The U.S. Drought Monitor indicates that parts of Sheridan County are abnormally dry. Much of Dawes, Scotts Bluff, and Box Butte counties are also abnormally dry or experiencing moderate drought, with all of Sioux County now considered to be in a moderate drought.