South Fork Fire in Nebraska 100% contained, remains at 39,696 acres

June 24, 2026:

The South Fork Fire remains at 39,696 acres and containment is now at 100%. Fire suppression repair continues – there are areas of heat or smoldering stump holes well into the interior of the fire that does not present a threat to continued fire growth. Firefighters are patrolling for any remaining heat, utilizing hose from fire engines to thoroughly soak priority areas, and felling hazard trees that could pose risks to the public—particularly along frequently used trails within Fort Robinson State Park. Road grading and dozer line repairs are also underway.

The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team has been in the field assessing priority areas related to life and safety, including watershed health. Given the scale of the incident, US Forest Service hydrologists conducted aerial assessments to better understand strategies for reducing risks such as flash flooding in the event of significant precipitation. Archeologists were also on the flight to get a good look at areas of cultural significance.

The team is assessing roads, culverts, trails, and other infrastructure to determine what resources are immediately needed for safest public access. Aerial assessments help minimize disturbance to the fragile post‑fire landscape, which currently lacks the resiliency of areas with intact vegetation.

The speed and scope of this aerial evaluation allow the BAER team to identify burn severity, watershed conditions, and areas of immediate concern, enabling them to make informed decisions on erosion mitigation and visitor safety. In light of these conditions, there is an increased risk of flash flooding today, with afternoon thunderstorms forecast. Visitors are advised to use caution when traveling in the area.

Future assessments are still planned for the area, including further cultural resource evaluations. Cultural considerations are an essential component of every BAER assessment, but given the significant historical and cultural importance of this landscape, they will be especially critical here. Local tribes will also participate in these assessments to ensure their perspectives, knowledge, and priorities are fully incorporated.

Incident management for the South Fork Fire will transition back to the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands at 10 p.m. this evening, June 24^th. The Forest extends its thanks to the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 for its dedicated support during the period of elevated operational complexity. Their collaboration and continued assistance during the transition to a Type 4 organization have been greatly appreciated.

For future updates regarding South Fork Fire, please follow the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Facebook Page, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system.

Aerial Image of Fort Robinson State Park, with the Burn area visible.
US Forest Service Photo.

Fire fighters work at removing hazard trees that could be a danger to visitors of Fort Robinson State Park.
US Forest Service Photo.

The type 3 flight crew helps forest staff to load into the helicopter after a safety briefing for their aerial assessment.
US Forest Service photo.

June 23, 2026:

The South Fork Fire acreage stays the same at 39,696 acres, and increased containment of 92%. With staffing at 72 personnel, yesterday’s efforts focused on continued suppression repair, with county crews working to repair roads that were heavily traveled by emergency vehicles in and around the burn area.

Fire crews continued patrolling uncontained fireline around the northern perimeter where the terrain makes defining the line as contained challenging due to steep and rugged conditions that contain heavy fuels that are still trapping heat. On the southern perimeter of the contained fireline, there was smoldering stump holes found and addressed by hand crews.

The largest challenge was the weather, with lightning across the panhandle and igniting several small wildfires in the area. South Fork Fire resources assisted in initial attack on a lightning wildfire start to the west of the South Fork Fire, which was successfully suppressed. Incident managers are dedicated to continuing to offer this assistance to area fire departments as the South Fork Fire continues to wind down.

Today’s weather is projected to be more favorable for operations and is forecasted to have lower winds and little thunderstorm activity. Overnight, there was significant rain to the east of the fire area, and though there was rainfall on the burn area overnight, it was largely overcast and minimal moisture was received.

For continuing updates, please see Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Facebook Page, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system.

Fort Robinson State Park’s iconic butte range, stands below sparse clouds.
US Forest Service Photo.

June 22, 2026:

The South Fork Fire has been turned over to a Type 3 incident management team, made up largely of local resources and personnel from the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2, which previously managed the incident. As the incident right-sizes staffing, the incident command post has also returned to Crawford, NE – which is suitable for a command of this size. After more accurate mapping, the fire is now estimated at 39,696 acres, with 80 personnel currently assigned.

Crews continue to monitor areas of heavy fuels most at risk of retaining heat on the northwest edge of the burn area, but the focus has largely shifted to suppression repair. Suppression repair will take place in areas where firefighting operations caused damage, such as cut fencing and dozer lines.

The Burned Area Emergency Response team will begin field evaluations of the post‑fire area today, assessing soil health, watersheds, roads, trails and cultural resources to determine what needs to be addressed most urgently to ensure safety for the public and to support wildlife habitat. As a reminder, the Nebraska National Forest has issued an emergency closure order for the Soldier creek campground as these assessments will help to inform local forest staff of repairs needed to safely reopen the area, which they hope to do as quickly as possible.

For continuing updates, please see Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Facebook Page, and InciWeb, the interagency incident information system.

South Fork Fire.
June 21, 2026.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service.

June 21, 2026, update:

Fire Update: South Fork Fire

Sunday, June 21, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. MDT

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2

Incident Commander Jay Mickey

Phone (public and media inquiries): 308-775-5438

Email: 2026.southfork@firenet.gov

Linktree: linktr.ee/2026southforkfire

Current Conditions: Containment on the South Fork Fire is 90% and acres stand at 39,696. Approximately 187 personnel are assigned to the fire. Crews continue patrolling the fire’s perimeter and mopping up as needed in Division Delta on the north side of the fire. Smokes may be visible from deep inside the interior of the fire.

Sunday, suppression repair on Fort Robinson State Park north of Hwy 20 was completed. Work now moves south of Highway 20 to the Peterson Wildlife Management Area. Once repairs are completed in these areas, crews will work around the entire fire footprint. When conditions allow, repairs will begin on the Cottonwood Rd. and the Rimrock Rd.

Crews remain ready to respond to requests from local volunteer fire departments for initial attack support on new fire starts.

The type 3 team managing the fire beginning at 6 pm today will complete remaining suppression repairs needed on the fire.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today brings additional chances of thunderstorms with a cold front and northwest winds that will shift to the northeast. Showers are expected throughout the day and into the evening. Clear skies and cooler conditions are expected for Monday.

Air Quality – For current air quality information, visit forecast.weather.gov. Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality . Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution https://tinyurl.com/prepare-for-poor-air-quality

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): tfr.faa.gov The South Fork Fire TFR has been lifted.

Forest closure information: The Soldier Creek Recreation Area is still undergoing evaluation and review from US Forest Service personnel and the emergency closure order issued is essential for public safety.

Courtesy image.

June 18, 2026, morning update:

Fire Update: South Fork Fire

Thursday, June 18, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. MDT

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2

Incident Commander Jay Mickey

Phone (public and media inquiries): 308-775-5438

Email: 2026.southfork@firenet.gov

Linktree: linktr.ee/2026southforkfire

Current Conditions: Containment on the South Fork Fire is 80% and acreage is 39,057 acres with approximately 452 personnel assigned. Lines continued to hold yesterday despite being tested by gusty winds. Personnel will begin to return to their home units as containment increases and the fire risk is reduced.

The fire remains generally quiet, with firefighters working the same areas of heat discovered Tuesday (June 16, 2026): in Division Delta on the northwest at the division break with Division Zulu, and around cottonwood trees south of Hwy 20. A suppression repair group is moving equipment to the Soldier Creek campground to begin repairing dozer lines created during suppression of the fire. The work is planned to start at the campground, working toward the Fort Robinson campus over the next several days. The public is asked to remain outside the fire area. In other areas of the fire, firefighters are patrolling and mopping up lines along the fire’s perimeter, seeking and extinguishing hot spots along the edges. Night operations will continue to be in place for at least the next 72 hours. RMCIMT2 is responsible for initial attack on any new starts inside the temporary flight restriction (TFR). Outside the TFR, the team will support the local department in unified command.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Northwest wind this morning will shift from northwest to northeast by the evening. A few sprinkles early in the day will precede less windy weather. Temperatures will be a few degrees higher. Fire behavior will be limited any new starts outside the fire perimeter.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): tfr.faa.gov The South Fork Fire is currently under a TFR. Please respect the flight restrictions, including drones and unmanned aircraft systems. These pose a significant risk to our aviation safety.

Forest closure information: Please see https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/nebraska/alerts

June 17, 2026:

Fire Update: South Fork Fire

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 – 8:00 a.m. MDT

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2

Incident Commander Jay Mickey

Phone (public and media inquiries): 308-775-5438

Email: 2026.southfork@firenet.gov

Linktree: linktr.ee/2026southforkfire

Please continue to respect all closures and restrictions in the area. For their own safety and that of fire crews, the public is urged not to stop on Hwy. 20 in areas where firefighters are working.

Current Conditions: Containment on the South Fork Fire is 80% and acreage is 39,057 acres with approximately 482 personnel assigned. Lines held during yesterday’s windy weather.

The fire was generally quiet yesterday, though several areas of heat were discovered. Ash devils were seen from Hwy. 20 near Crawford. The activity posed no threat to surrounding communities.

In Division Delta on the west side of the fire, areas of heat were detected adjacent to the line and were extinguished. Fire managers ordered a NIROPS flight to check the area for any other areas of heat. NIROPS is the National Infrared Operations program, a specialized U.S. government program that uses aircraft equipped with thermal imaging to map active wildfires, locate hotspots, and provide critical fire intelligence. Firefighters are closely watching the area of burning cottonwood trees on the south end of the fire in Division Alpha, south of Hwy. 20. They are allowing the fire to slowly consume the trees.

Tuesday (June 16, 2026), the evacuation status for the Fort Robinson campus proper was DOWNGRADED to “SET” (Be Prepared).

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today, a strong cold front early morning will produce gusty northwest winds of 45-55 mph through sunset. A fire weather watch remains in effect through 9 pm today for low relative humidity and gusty winds. Lines will be tested, as the fire is expected to encounter the strongest winds. Any new start outside the fire footprint has the potential to be very similar to the fire behavior at the start of the South Fork fire

Air Quality – For current air quality information, visit forecast.weather.gov. Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality . Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution https://tinyurl.com/prepare-for-poor-air-quality

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): tfr.faa.gov The South Fork Fire is currently under a TFR. Please respect the flight restrictions, including drones and unmanned aircraft systems. These pose a significant risk to our aviation safety.

Courtesy image.

June 15, 2026, update:

Current Conditions: Containment is 55% and acreage is 38,914 with approximately 581 personnel assigned. Yesterday (June 14, 2026), firefighters focused their efforts on securing line on the fire’s western edge in the Soldier Creek Wilderness in Division Delta after the additional growth Friday night due to extreme easterly winds. On all the other areas of the fire, crews are securing and mopping up the containment line. This is expected to continue for several days.

Where crews are actively working immediately south of Hwy. 20, on the southeastern edge in Division Alpha, fire managers ask the public not to stop in the fire area or on pull-offs adjacent to the fire. This compromises public and firefighter safety and interferes with firefighters’ work. Across the fire, night operations remain in place, with some resources located in Crawford, while the majority will be on the western active area of the fire.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today temperatures will be warmer and drier, with winds from the southwest until late morning, then from the west and finally from the northwest. Fire danger climbs rapidly today through Wednesday with rising temperatures and lower relative humidities. Lines will be tested during this time, especially on Wednesday which is expected to have the strongest winds.

Air Quality – An Air Quality alert has been issued for Dawes County from 12 a.m. Sun. through noon Monday associated with the South Fork Fire. The forecast indicates low windspeeds and the potential for elevated PM2.5 levels in this area. For more information visit forecast.weather.gov. Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality . Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution https://tinyurl.com/prepare-for-poor-air-quality

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): tfr.faa.gov The South Fork Fire is currently under a TFR. Please respect the fight restrictions including drones and unmanned aircraft systems. These pose a significant risk to our aviation safety.

Courtesy image.

June 14, 2026:

Fire Update: South Fork Fire

Sunday, June 14, 2026 – 10 a.m. MDT

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2

Incident Commander Jay Mickey

Phone (public and media inquiries): 308-775-5438

Email: 2026.southfork@firenet.gov

Linktree: linktr.ee/2026southforkfire

Current Conditions: Containment is 42% and acreage remains at 32,818 acres with approximately 562 personnel assigned. The greatest area of containment is on the southern edge of the fire, in Divisions Alpha (where the town of Crawford is located) and up to the north to the division break with Division Zulu to the northeast, and in Division Juliet. In these divisions, firefighters are patrolling and securing the containment line, as well as mopping up any lingering areas of heat. Fort Robinson also has containment line around its entire perimeter. Fire crews continue to maintain a presence in Crawford with both day and night shifts. Yesterday, on the west side of the fire, cooler, cloudy weather conditions and higher relative humidity allowed fire managers to use a direct strategy to suppress the fire growth above Cottonwood Road that took place Friday night. Across the fire, night operations remain in place, with some resources located in Crawford, while the majority will be on the western active area of the fire.

Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are being used on the South Fork fire. UAS provide fire manager real-time situational awareness, can detect hotspots, and allow for safer operations in high-risk environments, where the terrain or fuels are especially dangerous. Yesterday, in Division Zulu on the western part of the fire, UAS missions flew to scout the fire ground and gather information for planning. Along the fire’s southern edge, the UAS infrared (IR) capabilities were used for mapping needs.

Weather and Fire Behavior: The expected cloud cover passed through the area over night. Today will be considerably less windy, first coming from the northwest and then from the west, and will be slope and terrain driven. Starting Monday, expected warmer drier conditions have prompted a fire weather watch that day and fire danger climbs rapidly from Monday through Wednesday.

Air Quality – An Air Quality alert has been issued for Dawes County from 12 a.m. Sun. through noon Monday associated with the South Fork Fire. The forecast indicates low windspeeds and the potential for elevated PM2.5 levels in this area. For more information visit forecast.weather.gov. Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality. Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): tfr.faa.gov The South Fork Fire is currently under a TFR. Please respect the fight restrictions including drones and unmanned aircraft systems. These pose a significant risk to our aviation safety.

Courtesy image.

June 12, 2026, 9am MT update:

Current Condition: Crews made progress securing fire line on the west side of the fire Thursday (June 11, 2026), contributing to an increase in overall containment, which is now 7%. Total acres after yesterday’s growth is 28,067. Approximately 245 personnel are on the fire. Heavy equipment was utilized where terrain allowed, while hand crews continued working in steep and rugged areas along the northern perimeter with support from aviation resources. Protecting the community of Crawford remains a top priority. Significant progress was made along the eastern edge of the fire, where dozers, engines, and aviation resources strengthened containment lines and reduced fire activity. Residents may notice less smoke in the area as suppression efforts continue to be effective. Crews also continued working along the southern perimeter, extinguishing residual heat and preventing further spread. Around Fort Robinson, suppression efforts have significantly reduced the threat to the area. Crews continue to monitor and patrol around Fort Robinson.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Weather conditions on the South Fork Fire are expected to become warmer and drier tomorrow, with shifting wind directions throughout the day. Southwest winds may produce ridge-top gusts up to 45 mph around dawn before shifting northwest ahead of a weak front and northeast later in the evening. While winds are expected to be lighter than previous days, gusts of 20 to 25 mph remain possible. Temperatures are forecast to reach the 80s, with relative humidity dropping to around 10 percent. These conditions may support Increased fire activity along the northern portion of the fire perimeter where receptive fuels and persistent dry conditions remain. As winds shift throughout the day, activity may also increase along the eastern side of the fire. Active burning within unburned areas of the fire remains possible.

Evacuations and Closures: NEW CLOSURE – White River Trail is closed from Crawford City Park to Fort Robinson. Nebraska Emergency Managers with Region 23 issued evacuation notices for Fort Robinson State Park and a portion of the city of Crawford. The evacuation area includes locations immediately north of Crawford, including areas south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and Dodd Road itself, at Holmgren Road. The Ponderosa Villa assisted living facility has been evacuated. Fort Robinson State Park has been evacuated until further notice. A total of 22 structures and 95 people are currently under active evacuation orders. The Red Cross established community shelter options at Chadron State College and is currently set up to support sheltering efforts. A preliminary evacuation notice has also been issued for the entire city of Crawford.

Residents are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of evacuation. For guidance on how to prepare, visit Ready.gov.

Air Quality: Smoke from wildfires can affect people differently, and some individuals are more vulnerable to health impacts than others. The primary health concern from wildfire smoke is fine particulate matter, especially PM2.5, which affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

For Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality.
Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution

Courtesy image.

June 11, 2026, 9am MT update:

Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2 (RMCIMT2), under the command of Jay Mickey, began managing the South Fork Fire near Crawford, NE, at 6 am Thursday (June 11, 2026) morning. Team 2 would like to acknowledge the good work from the local and Type 3 organization during the initial attack of the South Fork Fire. Incoming resources will continue to build on the solid work and relationships established by the local resources and the Type 3 organization in the Crawford Community.

A Facebook page has been created for the fire – @South Fork Fire Nebraska. Check for official updates on the Facebook page and the South Fork Fire Inciweb page:  InciWeb page

The South Fork Fire has grown significantly and is now 23,112 acres; there are 145 personnel assigned, including National Guard, aviation, and ground crew resources. The fire is currently 5 percent contained.

Crews worked through the night to protect at-risk values near Crawford and Fort Robinson.

Thursday, firefighters will focus on assessing appropriate strategies and tactics based on the forecasted wind and advisories and Red Flag Warnings in the coming days. Very dry vegetation, rough terrain, and critical fire weather will continue to challenge firefighters and their ability to suppress the South Fork Fire. Firefighters and public safety continue to be the primary focus of fire managers as strategies and tactics are discussed.

Wednesday, Nebraska Emergency Managers with Region 23 issued evacuation notices for Fort Robinson State Park and a portion of the city of Crawford. The evacuation area includes locations immediately north of Crawford’s city center, including areas south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and Dodd Road itself, at Holmgren Road. The Ponderosa Villa assisted living facility has been evacuated. Fort Robinson State Park has been evacuated until further notice. A total of 22 structures and 95 people are currently under active evacuation orders. Emergency managers are working with the Red Cross to establish community shelter options; Chadron State College is currently preparing to potentially support the effort. A preliminary evacuation notice has also been issued for the entire city of Crawford.

Residents are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of evacuation. For guidance on how to prepare, visit Ready.gov.

Weather and Fire Behavior: A cold front pushed into the area last night, bringing cooler temperatures, slightly higher relative humidity, and a northwest wind. Strong winds will develop this morning but will not coincide with the peak burn period. The wind will decrease again, shifting from the northwest to the southwest this evening. Vegetation remains very dry. Riparian areas that typically would not burn this time of year are readily available to burn.

For Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality.
Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution

Courtesy image.

June 10, 2026:

The South Fork Fire remains mapped at 8,989 acres, however the fire did expand Wednesday (June 10, 2026).

Thursday an update to acreage will be available after additional mapping. Crews worked throughout the day in windy conditions and rough terrain. Firefighter and public safety, along with resource protection, remain the top priorities.

Nebraska Emergency Managers with Region 23 have issued evacuation notices for Fort Robinson State Park and a portion of the city of Crawford. The evacuation area includes locations immediately north of Crawford’s city center, including areas south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and Dodd Road itself, at Homgren Road. Fort Robinson State Park has been evacuated until further notice.

The Ponderosa Villa Nursing Home has been notified of evacuation orders and is enacting its evacuation plan. A total of 22 structures and 95 people are currently under active evacuation orders. Emergency managers are working with the Red Cross to establish community shelter options, Chadron State College is currently readying to potentially support the effort.

A preliminary evacuation notice has also been issued for the entire city of Crawford. Residents are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of evacuation. For guidance on how to prepare, visit Ready.gov, and continue to monitor the South Fork Fire InciWeb page and local media outlets.

South Fork Fire in Nebraska 100% contained, remains at 39,696 acres

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