Wildfire north of McCook is mostly out

Firefighters still battling embers

UPDATE: LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A wildfire near McCook was mostly extinguished as of Friday afternoon.

Red Willow County Sheriff Alan Kotschwar told Channel 8 that firefighters are battling embers at this point. They could blow from burned areas to green areas and restart the fire.

The rough terrain has been a challenge for firefighters. Some canyons are difficult to access by vehicle.

So four planes have been put to use, carrying both water and flame retardant.

Fire crews say the blaze is 50% contained.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Two wildfires are burning north of McCook for a third straight day on Friday.

As of the latest update, both are considered very active and 0% contained.

The Red Willow Western Rural Fire Department says it will continue working on the Mile Marker 26 Fire for several days to come, alongside several other agencies.

That’s the second blaze that broke out near Hugh Butler Lake on Wednesday.

Crews were first called to the area to battle the Road 383 Fire, which was burning around a group of cabins.

As of Friday, flames have spread to more than 700 acres between the two fires, and at least one structure has been lost.

Trees have also been badly damaged, creating falling hazards throughout the area.

Embers are blowing off the trees as well, creating small fires of their own that crews are constantly keeping an eye on.

Anyone driving through the area is asked to use extreme caution.

Authorities want to prevent any possible crashes that would tie them up even further.

People coming to take photos are asked to stay on the north side of the lake and respect the property of nearby landowners.

Even more agencies began heading out early this morning to join the battle against these blazes.

That includes the Grand Island Rural Fire Department and the St. Paul Volunteer Fire Department.