Critically important prairie widely burned in Nebraska’s largest wildfire
A wildfire has burned nearly 600,000 acres of land in and around a vitally important national wildlife refuge in Nebraska, becoming the state’s largest wildfire ever recorded since igniting on March 12.
The Morrill Fire traveled over 70 miles in under 12 hours after starting in the state’s Morrill County, triggering numerous evacuations and the activation of agricultural irrigation systems, according to fire crews working the scene. Gov. Jim Pillen has since issued an emergency proclamation and statewide burn ban in response to the Morrill Fire and the Cottonwood Fire, which has burned over 121,000 acres southeast of Morrill.
There are currently four major active fires across Nebraska, in a week that recorded more than two dozen fire starts. For updates, follow the Facebook page of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. The Nebraska-based Salvation Army Western Division announced on Sunday that it is raising funds in response to the wildfires in western and central Nebraska.
UPDATE – 24 March 2026: Information from Watch Duty Tuesday evening said the Morrill Fire was 98% contained, the Cottonwood Fire is 98% contained and the Road 203 Fire was 90% contained. All remain at Active status. Weather is favorable and fire behavior is minimal.
Both 100 and 1000-hour fuel moistures are at historic low levels in the area, making tall grass and invasive red cedar in the area potent fuel for the Morrill Fire, crews said. Despite single-digit temperatures and the presence of snow in the area, gusts over 50 mph are expected to increase fire spread, especially with more dry weather and near record-high temperatures forecast later in the week.
The vast majority of the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge has burned in the Morrill Fire, infrared flyover maps show. The refuge is located in the Nebraska Sandhills, labeled by researchers as the world’s most important intact prairie due to its status as one of the world’s last large native prairies that has not substantially been modified or converted to farmland.
https://wildfiretoday.com/critical-intact-prairie-widely-burned-in-nebraskas-largest-wildfire/