Governor Jim Pillen has taken additional action to respond to ongoing wildfire conditions across Nebraska, where several major fires have already burned more than 800,000 acres statewide. The governor issued a new emergency proclamation covering counties affected by the Morrill, Cottonwood, and Anderson Bridge fires, allowing the state to direct additional resources to those impacted areas. Officials noted that the Road 203 Fire in Blaine and Thomas counties is being handled by federal authorities and was not included in the latest state emergency declaration.
Along with the proclamation, Governor Pillen signed two executive orders aimed at supporting firefighting and recovery efforts. The first order extends the statewide ban on open burning, preventing fire chiefs from issuing burn permits from March 28 through April 10, after the previous ban had been set to expire on March 27. The second order temporarily relaxes certain transportation rules for commercial carriers, including hours-of-service limits and load size restrictions, to help ensure the timely delivery of feed and other essential supplies during the wildfire emergency.
Meanwhile, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency has activated the State Emergency Operations Center in response to new fire activity reported in Grant County. Fire suppression efforts across the affected regions continue to be coordinated by the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team, working under the direction of state officials as crews remain focused on containing the fires and protecting communities.
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