Wildfire causes devastation at Nebraska National Forest

THOMAS COUNTY, Neb. — Crews continue to battle a wildfire in Thomas County, causing evacuations of the village of Halsey and campgrounds.

The Nebraska Forest Service said the Bovee Fire started about three miles south of the Bessey Ranger District office inside the Nebraska National Forest in Thomas County shortly after 1:30 p.m. CDT Sunday.

Shortly thereafter, reports came in that the fire was "moving very quickly and jumped to Highway 2".

FIREFIGHTER DIES WHILE FIGHTING BOVEE WILDFIRE

Aggressive structure protection efforts by the Forest Service and local firefighters successfully defended the historic Bessey Nursery, the CCC Campground and the staff house. Unfortunately, the lodge and camper cabins of the Nebraska 4-H Camp were destroyed, along with the Scott Lookout Tower. All of those on site were safely evacuated.

“We had a good night last night and made a lot of progress on the east and north,” said Incident Commander Brian Daunt. “Today’s focus is going to be holding those lines and constructing a line to the west of the fire.”

More than 100 firefighters are on scene, and efforts are being made to slow the spread of the fire. Colorado’s Multimission Aircraft is scheduled to fly the fire this afternoon to provide detailed infrared mapping of the fire perimeter. The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team has been activated to take command of the Bovee Fire and is mobilizing en route to the incident.

WILDFIRE AT BESSEY RANGER DISTRICT

An estimated 15,000 acres have been burned by the wildfire, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Officials are continuing to urge people to take heed of all evacuation orders or warnings from local authorities.

As of Monday morning, Nebraska Highway 2 has been reopened between Thedford and Halsey. To protect public and firefighter safety, the Nebraska National Forest has closed the entire Bessey Ranger District to the public during the Bovee Fire. Closure details will be posted on the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/nebraska/alerts-notices.

NTV News will provide updates as more information becomes available.