Plum Creek Fire Burns over Seven Thousand Acres

   What started as a pre- scribed burn 4 miles west and 1 mile north of Johnstown on April 21 quickly became an uncontained fire that would scorch a large portion of the Nebraska Sandhills. 

   The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission along with other partners were assisting with the burn, but the fire broke containment when strong winds switched direction in the early afternoon. 

   Fire departments from Johnstown, Ainsworth, Raven, Long Pine and South Pine were called to the scene April 21 to provide aid during the growing fire. 

   As the fire spread into difficult terrain, more mutual aid was requested. 

   Help from the likes of Albion, Fullerton, Bloomfield, Wood Lake, and multiple other departments and entities arrived. 

   Using the Brown County Fairgrounds as a home base for rest and meals, the departments began to work together. 

   Through the following days, the wind refused to break, leading the partially contained fire to break containment yet again. 

   On April 23, Nebraska Govorner Jim Pillen declared an emergency and authorized airmen and soldiers to assist with the fire. 

   A Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) plane dropped fire retardant over the burning area, and helicopters provided water drops. 

   Pillen also issued a state- wide burn ban through the end of April. Pillen said the state is much too dry, and that it only takes one burn to cause a situation such as the Plum Creek Fire. 

   Following Pillen’s burn ban, Game and Parks issued a campfire ban across all state parks and wildlife management areas. 

   As weather improved, the firefighters were able to gain control of the fire over the April 27-28 weekend, managing to bring the fire to 95% containment.