Plum Creek Fire now 100% contained, says Nebraska Emergency Management Agency

LINCOLN — The “Plum Creek Fire” in north-central Nebraska is now 100% contained as of Wednesday morning, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency confirmed.

The week-long firefight began near Johnstown in Brown County after a prescribed burn escaped containment on April 21, which a private landowner had led in coordination with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, local fire departments and other partners.

Last week, Gov. Jim Pillen initiated a statewide burn ban through the end of April. On Tuesday, he narrowed the ban to and extended it for central and western Nebraska through midnight on May 10. He also prohibited permitted burns in eastern Nebraska if there is an active red flag warning from the National Weather Service.

More than 7,000 acres were burned in the Plum Creek area that includes canyons, hills and water on the northern edge, which state officials said had complicated the disaster response.

Over 50 different local fire departments, many volunteer-based, responded to the fire, as did the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, NEMA, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Nebraska National Guard, Nebraska State Patrol, Game and Parks and Nebraska Forest Service.

More than 45 cattle were killed, and the fire destroyed one cabin (a secondary residence) and at least eight utility poles.

The fire and continued burn ban came amid severe drought conditions for much of the state.

“It’s way too dry, and it doesn’t make any sense,” Pillen told reporters last Wednesday. “It only takes one burn, one mistake, and the one that took place … really, really made no sense.”

He continued: “We need Mother Nature to get on our side, and we need to get drenched. We need a tsunami. So if Nebraskans want to pray for a tsunami, I think we’d take that, right, or a drenching rain.”