FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2006, 12:00 p.m. MT

(Chadron, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman returned to northwestern Nebraska this morning to monitor progress as firefighters begin their third day of trying to contain several fires in Nebraska’s Panhandle region.
The Governor is joined today by Col. Bryan Tuma, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), and met this morning with Marc Mullenix, the federal incident commander and Al Berndt, Assistant Director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to assess the situation.
“Last night proved to be a very difficult night but we have seen some progress,” Gov. Heineman said. “The Dawes County complex fires remain a challenge but are better contained this morning. However, winds have stirred up the fires in the Harrison area and our immediate concern is that these fires are spreading quickly.”
The two fires outside the town of Harrison in Sioux County are currently burning out of control. The Rudloff fire is southeast of Harrison and has reached U.S. 20. Officials estimate it has burned 20,000 acres.
Thayer fire is northeast of Harrison and is estimated to have burned 30,000 acres. An interagency Type 1 fire team arrived mid-morning and is transferring to the Harrison complex to help battle flames, and state officials have been on the scene working to determine what state assets can be transferred to the Harrison complex. Both the NEMA and NSP Mobile Command units have been dispatched to Harrison to help provide information to the incident command center established at Chadron State College to manage the Panhandle fires.

Three wild fires continue to burn in the Dawes County area near Chadron.
The largest of the three is the Spotted Tail fire, which has burned 15,700 acres of grassland in an area south and east of Chadron. Firefighters were successful in creating a break west of U.S. 385 and as a result the fire has remained east of the highway. Evacuation orders issued Saturday afternoon remain in effect for residents in nearby subdivisions and Chadron State Park.

The remaining Dawes complex fires burning southwest of Chadron include the Roberts fire that has burned 5,700 acres, and the Deadhorse fire that has burned 300 acres. Officials expect to have the Deadhorse fire contained today.
Extremely hot and dry conditions in the Panhandle are expected to continue presenting challenges as more than 500 firefighters from Nebraska, South Dakota and Colorado, 118 Nebraska National Guard members, and federal fire management teams work to contain the fires. Temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees again today with low humidity and shifting winds contributing to a red flag warning throughout the region, making fires more difficult to fight and contain.
The Nebraska Chapter of the American Red Cross and Salvation Army Canteens are working to provide support for firefighters and a federal procurement team has been established in Scottsbluff to support federal firefighting efforts. Chadron State College has opened dorms to shelter and feed firefighters working on the Dawes complex fires.

Gov. Heineman said, “I want to thank everyone at Chadron State College for opening their doors to this massive response effort. Administration and staff here at the college acted quickly to prevent damage when their campus was in danger, and they have continued to work and provide the resources needed to keep these firefighters going.
“I also want to commend the residents in the Chadron area for stepping up to help it this effort. We’ve seen many instances where residents have taken the initiative to create breaks around their homes and land, which has helped prevent the spread of fires and is part of the reason we’ve seen so few losses when it comes to homes and community infrastructure. That level of personal responsibility is a trademark of our state and I cannot emphasize enough how important that sense of determination has been in this effort.”
Most recent estimates indicate that more than 60,000 acres have burned during the last three days.