Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has declared a state of emergency from last week’s Schiff wildfire that started about 17 miles southwest of Alliance in Box Butte County and spread into Morrill County.
Estimates late last Thursday put the size of the burned are at about 10,000 acres, but Alliance Fire Chief Troy Shoemaker says better mapping and aerial reconnaissance dropped the final total to 6,576 acres.
In his declaration, the governor said a combination of high temperatures, low humidity, high winds, and dry conditions resulted in a fast-moving blaze that damaged public and private property and caused health dangers.
The declaration allows for use of the Governor’s Emergency Fund to help pay for recovery efforts beyond the scope of what local governments can handle.