Rural Nebraska fire chief dies in crash on way to wildfire

EDISON, Neb. (AP) — A wildfire in southern Nebraska fueled by dry conditions and strong winds forced the evacuation of the small village of Edison and a rural fire chief was killed in a crash while he was responding to the blaze. The Nebraska State Patrol called for a mandatory evacuation Thursday night (April 7, 2022) of the Furnas County community of about 130 people about 187 miles southwest of Lincoln as a large fire neared the town. The patrol also said that Elwood Volunteer Fire Chief Darren Krull died after the emergency SUV he was a passenger in collided with a water tanker as smoke from the fire cut visibility to zero. Critical fire weather conditions were forecast for Friday from the central Plains to the northwestern Gulf Coast, including parts of Texas and Louisiana.