Don’t panic if you see or smell smoke in the northern Panhandle today – it’s just 3 government agencies burning brush and timber slash piles.
Nebraska Game and Parks, the U-S Forest Service, and SWANN – the Solid Waste Agency of Northwest Nebraska – are all taking advantage of the coming storm to get in some burns safely. .
Executive Director Jack Nemeth says one of the two brush pits at SWANN’s Chadron transfer station is full, so he’s taking advantage of the coming snow to burn it today.
    Pine Ridge District Ranger Tim Buskirk says the Forest Service will ignite several slash piles today south of Chadron in an area generally between the Pine Ridge Job Corps Center, Bordeaux Road, Table Road, and Hwy 385.
    Game and Parks is burning slash over the widest area with spokesman Rick Anthony saying smoke might be seen from burns north of Hay Springs to near the Wyoming state line.