Retired Fire Chief Dies In Nebraska Blaze; Over 120,000 Acres Burning In Southwest

A former fire chief from Cambridge, Nebraska, died while fighting one of at least three large blazes in the state. The said blaze is one of wind-driven wildfires in the southwestern region, specifically in Nebraska, Arizona and New Mexico that is burning up over 120,000 acres of land.

Authorities said retired Cambridge fire chief John P. Trumble, 66, died Friday night, while at least 15 other firefighters were injured while fighting a blaze in Red Willow County, Nebraska, Associated Press reported. Alyssa Sanders, with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said Trumble’s body was found early Saturday after he was overcome by smoke and fire. The fire that killed Trumble burned more than 78 square miles of land as of Sunday afternoon. It is unclear how much of the fire has been contained.

As part of the efforts to contain the three large fires in the state, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts approved the deployment of 32 personnel from the Nebraska National Guard to assist with emergency operations, The Hill reported. At least three helicopters and several trucks were deployed by the state’s National Guard to help contain the fires, The New York Times reported.

Nebraskan fire crews reported wildfires burning in 14 counties, with the Road 702 Fire raising concerns. At a Sunday briefing, officials said that the fire was still growing. It has burned 50,000 acres of land so far.

In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said over the weekend that the largest fire threat in the state was the Calf Canyon fire, which had burned over 54,000 acres as of Sunday. The fire also burned more than 200 structures and threatened about 900 residences. At least 1,000 firefighters were dispatched to battle the blaze, which was about 12% contained Sunday.

In photos released by the Taos County Sherriff’s Office, the Calf Canyon fire can be seen burning structures rapidly and spreading from one structure to another. The Sheriff’s Office said the area shown in the photos had been evacuated just hours before the blaze spread across that part of the county, KOAT-TV reported.

Grisham has signed emergency declarations due to 20 wildfires burning in New Mexico. The Cooks Peak Fire in the northern region has nearly burned 50,000 acres. It was 0% contained as of Sunday.

Meanwhile, evacuation orders issued last week for neighborhoods affected by the Tunnel Fire in Arizona have been lifted, CNN reported. The orders have been changed to “prepare to evacuate” but a statewide emergency response notice warned residents to beware of various hazards related to the fire such as “hot ash” that could “cause severe burns if stepped in.” The Tunnel Fire, which first started burning near Flagstaff, has burned over 21,000 acres of land and as of Sunday, it was contained at 3%.

Late last week, authorities said strong winds helped fuel wildfires in the U.S. Southwest. At that time, Joy Ansley, a spokeswoman for San Miguel County in New Mexico, said that while the forced evacuations of people were “heartbreaking,” the authorities would not let “people back in once they come out” as it was “a very serious, a very grim situation.” In total, the wildfires from Arizona, Nebraska, and New Mexico are burning over 120,000 acres of land.