Gov. Pillen, Adjutant General Strong Tour Cottonwood Fire & Visit Brady Community

CONTACT:

Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495

Katrina Cerveny, NEMA, 402-326-3179

Kevin J. Hynes, Nebraska National Guard, 402-309-8390

Gov. Pillen, Adjutant General Strong Tour Cottonwood Fire & Visit Brady Community

BRADY, NE - Today, Governor Jim Pillen and Major General Craig Strong, adjutant general for the Nebraska National Guard, viewed the Cottonwood Fire from the air before meeting with firefighters, ranchers and others affected by the wildfires. The Cottonwood Fire has destroyed 131,259 acres across Dawson, Frontier and Lincoln counties. It is 40% contained.

This is the second time Gov. Pillen has surveyed fire damage from overhead. He took a similar tour on Saturday, and at that time provided a briefing from the incident command center at the Keith County Fairgrounds.

Upon landing in North Platte this morning, the Governor and Maj. Gen. Strong traveled to the Fire Department in Brady where they met with emergency management representatives, members of the Nebraska State Patrol, firefighters, and county and village leadership from Brady and other nearby communities. Based on the latest information shared with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Cottonwood Fire has destroyed at least 44 structures and threatened 170 others, some of which may be homes.

Addressing the crowd, Gov. Pillen shared, "Right here is the heart and the soul of this community - our volunteer firefighters. I can't imagine what you have been through these past 72 hours or more. Our goal is to get you what you need. There are people from across our state and the nation who want to help Nebraska."

Maj. Gen. Strong added, "I feel in awe being here with you today. I am humbled to be in your presence. When the fire started, the Governor had three words for us, 'whatever it takes.'"

In addition to Cottonwood, there are three other significant wildfires burning in the state. Together these fires - Cottonwood Morrill, Road 203 and Anderson Bridge in Cherry County - have consumed nearly 827,000 acres of land.

Additional firefighting equipment is now being provided by Colorado and North Dakota to support efforts to extinguish the flames. They, along with Iowa, are answering requests made by Nebraska through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). The Iowa National Guard and the Nebraska National Guard are both utilizing helicopters with buckets to make aerial water drops. An additional 20-person Nebraska National Guard ground firefighting hand crew is supporting the effort. That team is equipped with three military tactical firefighting trucks.

The number of personnel fighting the Cottonwood and Morrill fires, both on ground and overhead, is estimated to be over 400. Those fires are being managed by the Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT), under the direction of the state of Nebraska.

At least three areas near the Cottonwood Fire remain under an evacuation order. That fire has also caused ranchers to move cattle herds out of the path of flames and to find areas of pastureland suitable for grazing.

Following their stop at the Fire Department, Gov. Pillen and Maj. Gen. Strong went to the Brady Community Center where they, along with Laura Field, executive vice president of the Nebraska Cattlemen, spoke with a large group of community members, farmers and ranchers.

Gov. Pillen acknowledged the hardships presented by the raging fires and their effect on people in the community. "When we have a fire here, it affects our way of life. It's our livelihood and it's our economy. Ask for help. A lot of you have been through some tough stuff. We have to take care of each other."

"The resilience and determination of our ranchers in the face of wildfire is deeply inspiring. The courage of first responders and volunteer firefighters who are risking their lives while stepping away from their own families and operations is nothing short of extraordinary," said Executive Director Field. "In the weeks and months ahead, Nebraska Cattlemen stands ready to support recovery in every way it can. We are profoundly grateful for the heart and soul of Nebraska rallying around neighbors in need."

Nebraska Cattlemen has established a disaster relief fund to help producers who have experienced property loss or damage because of the wildfires. Applications for assistance are now being accepted. That information is available on the organization's website as well as information about a variety of resources, both local and national.

Additionally, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture is maintaining a running list of resources. It can be found at www.nda.nebraska.gov/disasterresources. Search under the title: Available and Requested Donations and Services.

Red flag warnings remain in effect across much of the state, complicating firefighting efforts. Assistant Director for NEMA Erv Portis reinforced the need for extreme caution in the face of ongoing weather conditions.

"Due to drought conditions, low soil moisture, strong winds, and extreme temperature changes, we are urging all Nebraskans to remain cautious with open burning. Fires can start quickly and spread unpredictably under these conditions, putting lives and property at risk. Please avoid burning and consider safer alternatives only when conditions improve."

Currently, a ban exists on the issuance of burn permits. The Governor's executive order, signed last week, will continue through March 27.