Fire officials say the Morrill Fire has now reached full containment, while crews continue monitoring conditions and addressing flare-ups on the Cottonwood Fire as critical fire weather persists across the region.
Operations Section Chief Rob Powell with Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 says the final uncontained portion of the Morrill Fire has now been secured.
“If you remember this little red piece that has been kind of sticking out there… is taken care of. It’s 100% contained and we’re feeling pretty good about that,” Powell said.
Despite full containment, Powell says crews will continue staffing the Morrill Fire to monitor conditions and respond to any remaining heat.
“Although this also shows red, we know that there’s big unburned pockets of very valuable grass… that’s very important that we minimize that fire progression on them islands and we’ll continue to do that,” he said.
Crews responded to at least one report of heat Monday, quickly mopping up the area, and officials say similar activity is expected to continue as weather conditions remain hot and dry.
On the Cottonwood Fire, Powell says crews are continuing work on the remaining uncontained section, where flare-ups were reported in cedar trees.
“Yesterday we had some flare ups here… those cedar trees kind of torching off and getting some heat underneath them,” he said. “They’ll be working to get this containment line around.”
Black Hawk helicopters continue assisting on the fire, dropping water to cool hotspots and support crews on the ground. The Cottonwood Fire is currently at 98 percent containment.
Powell says crews are taking a cautious approach Tuesday as temperatures are expected to reach near-record levels.
“Today the plan is to just keep an eyeball on it because our weather today is critical fire conditions due to the heat… record highs,” he said.
Even within contained areas, fire activity is still possible. Powell says unburned islands inside the fire perimeter could continue to produce smoke.
“I would say that today we’ll continue to see unburned islands inside the perimeters maybe heating up and putting up some smoke,” he said.
Fire managers say crews remain positioned to not only monitor the fires but also assist local departments with any new fire starts across the region. Strike teams remain staged in Ogallala and Kearney, ready to respond as needed.
“We’re going to be very vigilant… and then also providing assistance to folks in different jurisdictions if they need help from us,” Powell said.
Officials say while the Morrill Fire is now fully contained and the Cottonwood Fire continues to improve, resources will remain in place through the remainder of the week, with a transition to a smaller Type 3 incident management team expected in the coming days.
Powell says the current team’s final operational shift is scheduled for Saturday, with crews remaining focused on keeping both fires secure as weather conditions evolve.