Sandhills firefighters battle multiple fires amid high winds

NORDEN, Neb. – Firefighters across the Sandhills responded to multiple fires Monday as dry conditions and strong winds created dangerous fire conditions.

One of the fires ignited in a canyon south of Norden, where firefighters from several departments worked together to contain the flames.

“The fire danger is terrible right now, especially with the wind,” said Joe Kronhofman of the Ainsworth Volunteer Fire Department.

Kronhofman had just finished battling another fire in the Long Pine Hills east of Ainsworth when he was called to the fire near Norden.

“It ended up being fairly small, but if we didn’t catch it, it would have jumped and gotten a lot bigger,” he said.

Firefighters were also called to fires near Cody and north of Thedford on Monday.

In Custer County fire departments also responded to multiple fires, including the Lillian Road fire where two firefighters were injured when the Broken Bow firetruck rolled into a canyon. One firefighter was flown to a regional trauma facility, and another was driven to the hospital, according to Broken Bow Fire and Rescue.

According to a landowner in the Norden area, his family had burned brush a few days earlier and had been monitoring hot spots. However, with the high winds, the fire reignited and quickly spread.

Officials with Brown and Rock County Emergency Management are urging anyone who burned debris recently to watch for signs of reignition, especially as dry conditions persist.

“Even after the snow, there’s very little moisture. It’s going to dry up real fast,” Kronhofman said.

With above-average temperatures and high winds forecasted throughout the week, the National Weather Service is warning of an elevated fire risk across much of Nebraska.