2025 Nebraska wildfires

Last updated

2025 Nebraska wildfires
Plum Creek Fire.jpg
The Plum Creek Fire near Valentine on April 22, 2025.
Statistics
Total fires23
Total area55,373

The 2025 Nebraska wildfires were a series of active wildfires in Nebraska.

Contents

Background

Nebraska Drought Monitor at its peak on May 13, 2025 2025 Nebraska Drought Monitor.png
Nebraska Drought Monitor at its peak on May 13, 2025

Historically, Nebraska’s wildfire season peaked in early to mid-summer, typically from June through September, when hot and dry weather combined with ample grass fuels created conditions conducive to rapid fire spread. [1]

However, recent years have seen notable shifts in this pattern. Officials from the Nebraska Forest Service report that, while historically the "bad fire season" occurred once every five to ten years and was largely confined to Western Nebraska, wildfire activity now begins much earlier—as early as late February—and extends through early winter, effectively turning fire "seasons" into fire years. This trend has stretched resources and transformed wildfire risk across the state. [2]

Contributing factors include warmer winters, drier springs, and increased availability of dry vegetation and fuel load. These conditions have intensified and extended the duration of wildfire hazards statewide. [3] Although specific months for prescribed burns and potential smoke impacts continue to vary, spring (particularly April) has historically seen elevated smoke due to regional controlled burns, while wildfire smoke may occur at any time of year, depending on conditions. [4]

Summary

Nebraska’s 2025 wildfire activity has already seen notable early fires, driven by escaped burns, dry fuels, wind, and low moisture.

One of the first major incidents was the Plum Creek Fire in Brown County, which ignited from a prescribed burn that escaped containment. Over 7,000 acres were burned before full containment. [5] [6]

Earlier in the spring, multiple wildfires burned across central Nebraska. Fires such as the East Table Road Fire (≈ 475 acres), Lillian Road Fire (≈ 900 acres), and Eureka Valley Fire (≈ 2,750 acres) have been active. Officials report that around 90 % of these early fires were human-caused, with unmonitored debris burns being a leading contributor. [7]

These fires have generated smoke plumes affecting local air quality, especially in rural and adjacent counties, during days with light winds or inversions. [8]

Geographic and logistical challenges—such as rugged terrain in the Nebraska and limited water infrastructure—have complicated suppression efforts, especially in remote zones. [9]

Because the wildfire “season” in Nebraska is already stretching into a year-round risk period, further ignitions and fire growth remain possible into summer and fall. Dry, windy conditions or escape of controlled burns could spark new fires in vulnerable areas. [10]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), produced significant structural damage, or resulted in casualties.

NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment date [a] NotesRef.
Eureka Valley Custer 4,800February 25
March 4
 [12]
Dismal River Ranch McPherson, Hooker 50,000February 25
February 28
 [13]
N Maxwell Road Lincoln 8,800March 26March 28 [14]
Dads Lake Cherry 18,552March 28March 29 [15]
Plum Creek Brown 7,075April 21April 30Started as a prescribed burn but escaped due to high winds. [16]
Boyd Garden 1,250September 9September 15Lightning-caused. Burned in Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge. [17]
2025 Nebraska wildfires
Perimeters of wildfires in Nebraska during 2025 (Red: >1000 acres) (map data)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out. [11]

References

  1. ↑ "Nebraska wildfire season is typically June through September". KETV (via Nebraska Forest Service). Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Great Plains now have 'wildfire years,' not seasons, as blazes start and spread earlier". Nebraska Public Media. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Nebraska Forest Service warns of longer and more widespread fire seasons". KLKN News. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Smoke impacts from prescribed burning and wildfires in Nebraska". NDEE/Publications. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Plum Creek Fire now 100% contained, says Nebraska Emergency Management Agency" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Plum Creek Fire up to 70% contained, more than 7,000 acres burned in north-central Nebraska" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Crews battle three wildfires in Central Nebraska" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Wildfire Map Spotlight: Plum Creek Fire, Nebraska" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Plum Creek Fire up to 70% contained, more than 7,000 acres burned in north-central Nebraska" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  10. ↑ "2025 Nebraska wildfires" . Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  11. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Eureka Valley Fire Map". Watch Duty . Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Dismal River Ranch Fire Map". Watch Duty . Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  14. ↑ "N Maxwell Rd Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Dads Lake Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Plum Creek Fire Map". Watch Duty. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Boyd - Wildfire and Smoke Map". datacentral.press-citizen.com. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.