More than 600,000 acres of Nebraska land has been burned since the fires ignited last week

OGALLALA, NE — Gov. Jim Pillen on Saturday confirmed the person who died in Arthur County from the Morrill Fire was a woman who couldn’t escape as the flames raced across the prairie.

“One Nebraskan lost their life – Rose White,” Pillen said during a Saturday morning briefing to reporters in Ogallala. “I won’t go into the circumstances, but a grandma that was trying to get away.”

He said it’s important for people to heed evacuation warnings and orders from officials, saying safety is the utmost priority.

“Everything else can be rebuilt,” Pillen said. “And I think it’s important all Nebraskans pray, because the circumstances have not changed. Yesterday was one of the toughest days, and through the night, that we’ve probably ever experienced in our state.”

Pillen has declared a state of emergency for seven counties as fast‑moving wildfires burn thousands of acres and force evacuations across the region, according to Nebraska Public Media.

The death toll stands at one as the four large fires continue to tear through Nebraska with little containment as of Saturday. March 14 afternoon. The following estimates are according to information provided by the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Pillen’s administration and Watch Duty:

• The Morrill Fire has now burned more than 572,082 acres between Morrill, Garden, Arthur and Keith counties. The fire is just north of Nebraska 26, a major roadway through Nebraska’s Panhandle. It has stretched down to the north shore of Lake McConaughy, one of the state’s most popular lakes.
• The Cottonwood fire has burned at least 122,144 acres in Lincoln and Dawson counties. The fire is burning just south of Interstate 80, the main interstate roadway that runs through Nebraska.
• The Road 203 Fire has burned 35,814 acres near Halsey, in the Nebraska National Forest. Pillen said federal crews are working to contain that fire since it’s on federal land.
• The Anderson Bridge Fire has burned 16,405 acres in Cherry County, just west of Valentine. It’s affecting land in the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest.

When asked about the suspected causes of the fires, Pillen said the Morrill Fire’s cause was “electrical in nature with wind popping wires and sparks.” As for the Road 203 Fire, Pillen said, “I think that we’re pretty confirmed that the Halsey fire was a burn by the federal government.”

“This is a fight from the river to Harrison, and I’m really excited that we’re getting people deployed to help our volunteer firefighters,” Pillen said.

He stopped short of saying the Morrill Fire is the largest wildfire Nebraska has seen, but he did confirm that more than 600,000 acres of Nebraska land has been burned since the fires took off Thursday, March 12, 2026. Pillen and other state leaders surveyed the damage overhead. He estimated his team flew around 35-40 miles to see the damage firsthand.

He has also called mayors in several of eastern Nebraska’s biggest cities, including Omaha, Lincoln and Columbus, to help.

Pillen said the White House “didn’t blink” in Nebraska’s request for federal assistance.

“FEMA has been contacted, so that’s all underway, and that process is happening. I think that one thing that’s incredibly important is for the days ahead – for what’s taken place – that everybody has confidence that we will have FEMA assistance. That means that, that covers 75% of our expenses. And the State of Nebraska is doing great. State of Nebraska will cover 25%.”

Sen. Deb Fischer, who’s from Cherry County, one of the counties seeing a large wildfire, was not in attendance, but the federal delegation members said she’s been in contact, receiving updates.

Fischer noted the fires are spreading as the Federal Emergency Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is firing workers in areas that are recovering from disasters. She also said President Trump has repeatedly said that he believes FEMA is ineffective and should be eliminated as it currently exists. In March 2025, the president signed an executive order directing state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role” in preparing for disasters.

More windy and unseasonably warm weather was expected through the weekend. That had many of the frontline firefighters worried about what could take off when stronger winds arrive.

“I don’t think it’s going to be good,” Keystone-Lemoyne Fire Chief Ralph Moul said just ahead of the Saturday briefing. “We’re putting in new control lines. They’re a line cut with motor graders and caterpillars down to bare mineral soil, so that the fire doesn’t have anywhere to go. We’re placing that all the way along the homes north of Highway 92.”

Moul said there were about 32 different fire departments in Keith County, helping local volunteer crews with mutual aid. He knew of about six fire departments with 60 personnel heading up to Morrill County to help fight fires from that direction.

“The fire’s laid down, but if the wind comes up, I’m going to start repositioning more people,” Moul said.

The National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for Sunday, when winds were expected to gust as high as 65 miles per hour. Meteorologists warn the winds damage trees and power lines, and that power outages were possible.