Lily Maxwell
GRANT COUNTY, Neb. (KSNB) – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said two evacuation orders have been lifted on Thursday after two wildfires in Grant County burned nearly 50,000 acres overnight.
The sheriff’s office said evacuations for the villages of Hyannis and Ashby have been lifted.
The Morrill Fire Facebook page said the Ashby Fire started near Ashby and quickly spread south. It has burned into the area already burned by the Morrill Fire northeast of the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The Ashby Fire has burned 34,641 acres.
The Minor Fire south of Hyannis has burned 15,000 acres. It is moving south toward Arthur County and the Morrill Fire.
The fires mobilized initial-attack resources at 1 a.m. MDT. Those resources are assisting local volunteer fire departments and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Wildland Incident Response and Assistance Team.
Gov. Jim Pillen said on social media that he has ordered state assets to support local firefighters.
The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1, at the request of Pillen, has ordered numerous engines and other resources to assist in suppressing the wildfires.
Four Nebraska and Iowa National Guard Black Hawk helicopters are working the Ashby Fire, and three single-engine air tankers are working the Minor Fire.
Resources
Hyannis Area Schools canceled classes at Hyannis High School Thursday. The school is open as a shelter for anyone seeking refuge.
Hyannis Congregational Church is also accepting evacuees.
Highway 2 and Highway 61 were closed because of the wildfires, but have since reopened.
This is a developing story.
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