PRESSEY PARK, Neb. – Nebraska National Guard members conducted aerial and ground firefighting operations April 23–25 in response to the Pressey Park Fire, supporting a joint effort alongside state and local agencies as the wildfire burned thousands of acres with no initial containment.
Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Army National Guard dropped 82 water buckets totaling 54,120 gallons during the three-day response. The mission included 11 Army National Guard aviators and a joint hand crew of six Air National Guard and four Army National Guard personnel operating alongside local, state and interagency partners.
The fire, estimated at about 8,000 acres and 0% contained as of early operations, drew a coordinated response from multiple organizations, including the Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
“We are the Joint Emergency Response Crew, a joint Army and Air task force here, side by side with local resources from neighboring cities and counties,” said Master Sgt. John Williams of the 155th Air Refueling Wing Fire Department. “All working side by side to try and extinguish this fire.”
National Guard aviation crews initially had planned a field training exercise in the area focused on aerial firefighting operations, but were redirected when the wildfire ignited nearby.
“We were training for a field training exercise,” said Capt. Emily Voeller, an aviation officer with G Company. “We’d been planning for it for several months.On the way out here, a fire kicked off probably eight miles from here … now, instead of doing the planned training exercises that we had … now we’re doing a real-world mission.”
Voeller said crews arrived prepared with aircraft and equipment, including water buckets staged in advance for training, allowing for a rapid transition to real-world response under state active-duty orders.
Operations required coordination with local fire chiefs and volunteer departments, with daily briefings held to align aviation and ground efforts. Guard crews worked within flight hour limits and adjusted to equipment challenges, including operating at times with a single functional water bucket.
Williams noted the response marked the unit’s second deployment and third wildfire mission in Nebraska this year, an unusually high operational tempo for this point in the season.
“This is our second deployment and our third wildfire in Nebraska this year, which is more than any other year at the end of April,” Williams said.
Officials emphasized the collaborative nature of the mission, with Guard members integrating into a broader response network of local volunteers and state agencies working to contain the fire and protect affected communities.
The Nebraska National Guard remains postured to continue supporting civil authorities as wildfire conditions persist across the state.