Fire near Rushville burns 70 acres, now contained

RUSHVILLE, Neb. - A fire north of Rushville burned around 70 acres, according to Gordon Fire Chief Rich Haller. Haller said the fire started around one mile south of Hands of Faith, right next to a timber area.

The Rushville Fire Department called in Gordon for mutual aid, which helped until they were released around 6:00 Thursday night. Rushville firefighters continued fighting the fire until 7:00 Thursday night.

Haller noted that strong winds made fighting the fire more difficult. Because of the wind, along with the hot, dry weather, The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the area.

“Any fire start may spread rapidly and become difficult to control,” the National Weather Service North Platte office wrote on Facebook.

The National Weather Service also mentioned that there’s a potential for dry lightning.

Lightning has sparked several recent fires in the area, including the Mariah Fire last weekend, which burned around 20 acres 15 miles north of Rushville. A different recent fire near Whiteclay burned around 200 acres.

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

On Thursday, Gordon firefighters were also called to a vehicle fire south of the town.

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.

A single engine air tanker, or SEAT, is now stationed in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The plane can deliver up to 800 gallons of fire retardant to support firefighters on the ground.