State Of Emergency Declared In Nebraska After Wildfires Burn Over 500,000 Acres

Wildfires have swept through Nebraska over the weekend.

Nearly 500,000 acres were burned as strong winds caused wildfires to spread quickly across the Nebraska plains.

The wildfires have prompted Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen to declare a State of Emergency.

Here are some of the wildfires captured in photos and videos:

Nebraska wildfires ripped across the landscape last night, with the pilot who sent these images in saying they mapped this fire at 72 miles long. The Road 203 Fire south of Halsey was mapped at 36,000 acres, but could be larger this morning.

Multiple wildfires were active… pic.twitter.com/DJX3k4qnKC

— The Hotshot Wake Up (@HotshotWake) March 13, 2026

🚨 Situación crítica en Nebraska. Los incendios forestales ya han arrasado más de 240,000 hectáreas (600k acres). El Gobernador ha declarado estado de emergencia para 7 condados. 💨 Vientos de 100 km/h complican la contención. ¡Fuerza a los equipos de rescate! 🇺🇸🔥

🎥FoxNews pic.twitter.com/jXOncrVBuD

— News Day Mundo (@NewsDayMundo) March 15, 2026

Fox Weather reported more on the wildfires that have swept through the Cornhusker State:

Wildfires have erupted across the state of Nebraska, leaving one dead as gusty winds and low humidity fuel fire risk through the weekend.

Multiple fires have erupted since Thursday, with local and state officials working tirelessly to contain the fires.

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency reported on Friday responding to 24 wildfires in 24 hours. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen announced a state of emergency order for the counties impacted on Friday.

“These fires present a significant and active danger, given current weather conditions,” said Gov. Pillen. “Anyone living within proximity to current wildfires are urged to heed communications issued by local authorities, including their respective county emergency management agencies.”

The Morrill Fire, the largest reported by the National Interagency Wildfire Enterprise Geospatial Portal, has burned more than 500,000 acres since it started on Thursday.

The aftermath in some areas:

MASSIVE WILDFIRES broke out in Nebraska yesterday, fanned by gusts 50-70 mph.

This video shows the footprint of the large fire that burned from Lincoln County into Dawson County.

To the west, the Morrill Fire burned through 330,000 acres in the panhandle! #NEwx pic.twitter.com/kySg2RuBZS

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) March 13, 2026

Here’s the full state of emergency announcement by the Office of Governor Pillen:

Today Governor Jim Pillen issued an emergency proclamation to unlock state resources and support the response to multiple wildfires in central and western Nebraska that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres of land across multiple counties and resulted in evacuations in nearby communities. Roadways have also been closed due to low visibility.

“These fires present a significant and active danger, given current weather conditions,” said Gov. Pillen. “Anyone living within proximity to current wildfires are urged to heed communications issued by local authorities, including their respective county emergency management agencies.”

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has received 24 reports of wildfires in the past 24 hours. Major fires that are being tracked include the following:

The Road 203 Fire south of the communities of Halsey and Dunning within the Nebraska National Forest. Due to its location, this fire is currently being managed by federal authorities.

The Lincoln County Fire (Cottonwood Fire) south of I-80, near Brady and Gothenburg.

The Morrill County Fire north of Nebraska Highway 92, between Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Lake McConaughy.

The Anderson Bridge Fire west of Valentine.

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The Governor and his team have been closely monitoring these fires, which significantly worsened late yesterday with continued severe wind conditions across Nebraska. The fires have grown beyond the capacity of local wildland fire responders and firefighters.