Cottonwood and Morrill Fires Update: March 21, 2026

Cottonwood and Morrill Fires Update: March 21, 2026

RELEASE DATE: Mar 21, 2026

Saturday, March 21, 2026 - 9 a.m. MDT

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1

Justin Conrad, Incident Commander

Phone (public and media inquiries): 719-283-6829, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. MDT

Email: [email protected]

Linktree: linktr.ee/morrillandcottonwoodfires

Announcement: No evacuation orders are in effect for either the Cottonwood or Morrill Fires. All orders have been lifted.

Safety: The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for all of western Nebraska. It is in effect from 9 a.m. MDT Saturday to 3 a.m. MDT Sunday. On Saturday, expect record-high temperatures in the 90s, single-digit relative humidity, and gusty west winds up to 35 mph. As a strong cold front moves through the area overnight, winds will suddenly change direction and come from the north. Gusts will increase up to 45 mph. These strong winds will persist until noon Sunday. As you recreate or work outdoors, remain vigilant. Report new fires by calling 911. Consider signing up with your county's emergency notification system to receive real-time alerts; website links to the sign-up pages of counties affected by Morrill and Cottonwood Fires are in the incident's Linktree (URL and QR code above).

Current Situation: Three initial-attack groups-consisting of firefighters, engines, and heavy equipment-are staging in Oshkosh, Keystone, and Brady and ready to respond to new fires anywhere in the state. If some initial-attack resources were to respond to requests for assistance by local fire departments or the State of Nebraska, the Morrill and Cottonwood Fires would not go unstaffed. Engine crews, hand crews, and other resources will continue to patrol, monitor, extinguish hotspots and work toward full containment on both fires.

Cottonwood Fire: Crews achieved additional containment Friday, bringing the total to 94 percent. Nebraska and Iowa National Guard Black Hawk helicopters assisted the five ground crews by conducting water drops on burning and smoldering vegetation. Scattered stands of unburned eastern redcedar within the fire perimeter continue to ignite, flare up and produce abundant dark smoke. However, these flare-ups on the fire's northwest corner west of Jeffrey Reservoir are not threatening to cross containment lines. Crews continue to work around structures in the Jeffrey Reservoir area today.

Morrill Fire: On Friday, crews had a reprieve from the wind as they patrolled the fire's perimeter and interior, looking for hotspots. They also used a drone equipped with infrared cameras to assist them in locating heat sources that are not producing visible smoke. The few hotspots that remain are concentrated primarily in windbreaks and heavily vegetated drainages. Near the northwest corner of Lake McConaughy in the Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area, a small portion of the fire remains uncontained. It is hazardous to access with equipment or on foot, but the area is being monitored and there is no active fire near the perimeter.

Weather and Fire Behavior: As mentioned above, weather conditions Saturday are extremely hot (35-40 degrees above normal) and dry for March. Combined with strong winds, these conditions increase the likelihood that any new fires will exhibit extreme fire behavior and spread rapidly. However, the incident's fire behavior analyst does not anticipate the weather increasing fire activity within either the Morrill or Cottonwood Fires to an extent that would compromise containment lines. The Morrill Fire has very few remaining hotspots. And while there is fire activity in the northwest corner of the Cottonwood Fire, it remains scattered and well interior. If wildfire smoke is affecting your area, visit Fire.AirNow.gov for air-quality information.

Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR): If you fly, we can't! TFRs remain in effect over portions of the Morrill and Cottonwood Fires, but they were reduced in size Friday. Ensure you know the most current TFR boundaries by visiting tfr.faa.gov. The TFRs are in effect because military and other aircraft are actively engaged in firefighting support. We appreciate local aviators' adhering to the flight restrictions and their assistance reducing aerial traffic around the fires so our air crews remain safe as they support the fire-suppression effort. Remember: If you fly, we can't!

Cottonwood Fire Statistics

• Size: 128,192 acres
• Containment: 94%
• Personnel: 246
• Cause: undetermined

Morrill Fire Statistics

• Size: 643,074 acres
• Containment: 98%
• Personnel: 215
• Cause: undetermined

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Cottonwood & Morrill Update 03-21-26