Governor says Nebraska grandmother died in Morrill Fire trying to escape

OGALLALA, Nebraska — Gov. Jim Pillen on Saturday confirmed the person who died in Arthur County from the Morrill Fire was a woman who couldn’t escape as the flames raced across the prairie.

“One Nebraskan lost their life – Rose White,” Pillen said during a Saturday morning briefing to reporters in Ogallala. “I won’t go into the circumstances. Hurts a little bit, but a grandma that was trying to get away.”

He said it’s important for people to heed evacuation warnings and orders from officials, saying safety is the utmost priority.

“Everything else can be rebuilt,” Pillen said. “And I think it’s important all Nebraskans pray, because the circumstances have not changed. Yesterday was one of the toughest days, and through the night, that we’ve probably ever experienced in our state.”

The death toll stands at one as the four large fires continue to tear through Nebraska with little containment as of Saturday afternoon. The following estimates are according to information provided by the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Pillen’s administration and Watch Duty:

• The Morrill Fire has now burned more than 460,000 acres between Morrill, Garden, Arthur and Keith counties. The fire is just north of Nebraska 26, a major roadway through Nebraska’s Panhandle. It has stretched down to the north shore of Lake McConaughy, one of the state’s most popular lakes.

• The Cottonwood fire has burned at least 100,000 acres in Lincoln and Dawson counties. The fire is burning just south of Interstate 80, the main interstate roadway that runs through Nebraska.

• The Road 203 Fire has burned at least 40,000 acres near Halsey, in the Nebraska National Forest. Pillen said federal crews are working to contain that fire since it’s on federal land.

• The Anderson Bridge Fire has burned 16,000 acres in Cherry County, just west of Valentine. It’s affecting land in the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest.

When asked about the suspected causes of the fires, Pillen said the Morrill Fire’s cause was “electrical in nature with wind popping wires and sparks.” As for the Road 203 Fire, Pillen said, “I think that we’re pretty confirmed that the Halsey fire was a burn by the federal government.”

“This is a fight from the river to Harrison, and I’m really excited that we’re getting people deployed to help our volunteer firefighters,” Pillen said.

He stopped short of saying the Morrill Fire is the largest wildfire Nebraska has seen, but he did confirm that more than 600,000 acres of Nebraska land has been burned since the fires took off Thursday. Pillen and other state leaders surveyed the damage overhead. He estimated his team flew around 35-40 miles to see the damage firsthand.

More windy and unseasonably warm weather is expected through the weekend. That has many of the frontline firefighters worried about what could take off when stronger winds arrive.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about tomorrow. I don’t think it’s going to be good,” Keystone-Lemoyne Fire Chief Ralph Moul said just ahead of the Saturday briefing. “Today, we’re putting in new control lines. They’re a line cut with motor graders and caterpillars down to bare mineral soil, so that the fire doesn’t have anywhere to go. We’re placing that all the way along the homes north of Highway 92.”

Moul said there were about 32 different fire departments in Keith County, helping local volunteer crews with mutual aid. He knew of about six fire departments with 60 personnel heading up to Morrill County to help fight fires from that direction.

“The fire’s laid down, but if the wind comes up like it’s going to tomorrow, I’m going to start repositioning more people,” Moul said.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning for Sunday, when winds are expected to gust as high as 65 miles per hour. Meteorologists warn the winds could damage trees and power lines, and that power outages are possible. It could make traveling difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.

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