Crews were called to reports of a grass fire along Highway 21 south of Broken Bow on Thursday morning in the 9 AM hour. The blaze was soon said to be on both sides of the highway.
According to Nebraska 511 just ahead of the 11 AM hour, the entire stretch of highway between Oconto and Broken Bow is closed in both directions due to the fire.
Update, 1 PM hour: Highway 21 between Oconto and Broken Bow is open according to Nebraska 511.
Update, 4:45 PM: Broken Bow Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dustin Watson told KCNI/KBBN that the fire was put out earlier this afternoon and that all who responded are back at their respective stations. He added that the fire didn’t threaten any buildings, and that while swirling winds caused it to burn in several directions it generally moved to the northwest in open fields. Since the fire took place in mainly fields burning grass, Watson said it was easy to soak down well and monitoring efforts will be light.
Watson thanked the efforts of the following departments who responded: Broken Bow, Merna, Oconto, Comstock, Ansley, and Sargent.
The fire comes as Custer County and much of the state is in a red flag warning. Custer County’s current warning is in effect until 10 PM due to winds gusting as high as 45 MPH, relative humidity as low as 18 percent, and temperatures approaching 90 degrees expected.
