VIDEO: The โPlum Creek Fireโ in north-central Nebraska is now 100% contained as of Wednesday morning, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency confirmed. The week-long firefight began near Johnstown in Brown County after a prescribed burn escaped containment on April 21, which a private landowner had led in coordination with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, local fire departments and other partners..
Last week, Gov. Jim Pillen initiated a statewide burn ban through the end of April. On Tuesday, he narrowed the ban to and extended it for central and western Nebraska through midnight on May 10. He also prohibited permitted burns in eastern Nebraska if there is an active red flag warning from the National Weather Service.
More than 7,000 acres were burned in the Plum Creek area that includes canyons, hills and water on the northern edge, which state officials said had complicated the disaster response. Over 50 different local fire departments, many volunteer-based, responded to the fire, as did the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, NEMA, State Fire Marshalโs Office, Nebraska National Guard, Nebraska State Patrol, Game and Parks and Nebraska Forest Service.
