Those traveling through northwest Custer County or looking that direction this afternoon may see smoke in the air caused by a prescribed burn planned for around 1 PM.
Information made available stated that the burn is not associated with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Custer County Emergency Management, or any agencies involved in the Pressey Fire.
KCNI/KBBN spoke with Anselmo Fire Chief Mark Christen about what is considered going into prescribed burns during exceptionally dry conditions with wildfires active elsewhere.
“Burn permits aren’t just handed out like candy. They have to prove the ground has been prepped, and wind speeds have to be perfect,” said Christen.
He added that those burning have decades of experience and lots of help on hand to pursue a successful, safe, and timely burn. He said that another consideration often forgotten is that those burning wouldn’t be doing so if they didn’t think it could be done safely, as their homes are the closest to the fire site.
Slight chances of thunderstorms are in the forecast for this weekend, which brings the threat of cloud to ground lightning. Chances of showers range from 70 percent to near 100 percent this weekend.
Crews continue to tend to the Pressey Fire, which has burned just short of 10,000 acres in Custer County this week from its starting point near Pressey Park.
