LINCOLN — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has requested President Donald Trump issue a major disaster declaration to receive funding to address wildfires that impacted parts of the state during March and April.
The funding would assist with covering the cost of damage to public infrastructure that occurred as a result of the Morrill, Cottonwood, Ashby and Minor fires. More than 821,000 acres burned in those four fires, according to a state press release.
The Pillen request to the White House and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) includes Arthur, Garden, Grant, Lincoln and Morrill counties and would help cover damage to roads, bridges, and public power infrastructure. Power infrastructure was reported to be the most impacted, with fires burning through electricity transmission corridors and distribution systems.
Preliminary damage estimates by FEMA and Nebraska’s Emergency Management Agency have reached nearly $9.7 million, with state officials saying federal assistance is needed to support long-term recovery.
“Since these fires, we’ve been blessed beyond measure to see the outpouring of support — and load after load of hay — cross county and state lines to support ranching families and communities in the Sandhills,” Pillen said in a statement. “Nebraskans are tough as nails, and we’ll get through this moment together.”
