CHADRON, Neb. - High winds are complicating efforts to extinguish a wildfire burning roughly 12 miles south of Chadron. According to the Chadron Volunteer Fire Department, lightning caused the fire Wednesday night.

Chadron has requested mutual aid from the Hemingford Fire Department, U.S. Forest Service, Nebraska Game and Parks and Dawes County Roads Department, as well as from multiple landowners.

“The fire was burning in rugged terrain with lots of old burned dead and down timber from the 2012 fires,” Chadron Volunteer Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post.

Firefighters remain on scene Thursday, working to fully contain the fire and monitor hot spots. The region is currently under high fire danger, with additional fires recently reported near Long Pine and Valentine.