LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Army National Guard helicopter crews helped battle wildfires near Brush Creek June 24-25.
At the direction of Gov. Pete Ricketts, the Nebraska Army National Guard activated two helicopter crews and support personnel to provide additional aerial firefighting capabilities at the request of authorities in multiple north central Nebraska counties.
Eleven Soldiers deployed the night of June 24 from the Army Aviation Support Facility in Grand Island with one CH-47 Chinook helicopter, one UH-72 Lakota helicopter and one fuel truck. Both helicopters are equipped with water buckets.
Severe weather June 23 produced lightning strikes believed to have sparked at least 20 fires, according to Seth Peterson of the Nebraska Forest Service. The largest burned about 6,000 acres near Brush Creek and Highway 11, Peterson said.
By the morning of June 25, the National Guard crews had completed 34 drops totaling more than 23,000 gallons of water. Approximately 10 volunteer fire departments assisted in the firefighting efforts, including two from South Dakota. The fires were 95 percent contained.