Nebraska wildfire burns 35,000 acres, 50 percent contained

Nebraska wildfire burns 35,000 acres, 50 percent contained

A wildfire in South-Central Nebraska continues to burn more than 35,000 acres of agricultural land.

“It’s been pretty horrendous.”

Farmer Don Batie tells Brownfield the fire started last Thursday in Gosper and Furnas Counties from dryness and high winds. “We had one fatality in it. A number of injuries. Equipment lost. Houses lost. Buildings lost and tremendous number of livestock lost.”

The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency says the cause of the fire was a dead tree that blew into power lines.  As of Monday morning, the fire was 50 percent contained.