Fire crews continue to make steady progress across western Nebraska, with the Minor Fire now fully contained and resources beginning to scale back on the Cottonwood Fire following recent rainfall.
According to the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2, the 14,082-acre Minor Fire was declared 100 percent contained Wednesday, while the Ashby Fire remains at 97 percent containment due to an area of buried heat that continues to smolder.
Operations Section Chief Nathan Hallam confirmed crews are close to finishing work on the Ashby Fire.
“That fire is now 95 percent contained,” Hallam said. “We are working with your state to get containment on that dump that was burning underground and hopefully in the next 48 hours we'll have containment on 100% on Ashby Fire.”
Fire managers say both fires will continue to be staffed based on current conditions, with crews focusing on monitoring and remaining hotspots.
The Cottonwood Fire, which burned more than 129,000 acres, also remains 100 percent contained, and crews are now beginning to demobilize after several days of reduced fire activity.
“We only found one area of heat within that,” Hallam said. “No other heat was showing on that fire… so we're pulling all the resources off of that. We're going to be sending them back home.”
Despite scaling back, some crews will remain in the area to continue patrol operations.
Recent rainfall has helped suppress fire activity across much of the state, with some areas receiving up to half an inch of moisture. However, officials warn the fire risk is not gone—especially in parts of southwest Nebraska that saw little precipitation.
Hallam said conditions in those areas could still support rapid fire growth.
“We have 70-degree temperatures, relative humidities potentially dropping below 20%, and winds… up to 25 miles per hour,” he said. “If we were to get any sort of new starts in the southwest side of the state, there could be rapid fire growth.”
To address that risk, firefighting resources are being repositioned. Initial attack crews remain stationed in Alliance, Ogallala, North Platte, Broken Bow and Columbus, with one group relocating to Grand Island to better cover drier areas.
Statewide fire activity has remained low, with crews focusing on training, coordination with local departments, and maintaining readiness for any new fires.
Hallam also praised local communities for their support during recent firefighting efforts.
“You got an amazing community down here in Bertrand,” he said. “We just really appreciate that support… and we're happy to serve you.”
While cooler, more humid conditions are expected to continue in some areas, officials caution that dry vegetation—especially in brush and timber—can still carry fire quickly if new ignitions occur.
Fire managers are urging residents to remain cautious and report any signs of fire immediately.