Fire Burns 4 Acres Northeast of Pine Ridge Job Corps Center

      A wildfire south of Chadron and northeast of the Pine Ridge Job Corps Center burned about 4 acres yesterday before being contained.

     Chadron Fire Chief Brandon Martens says the blaze, dubbed the Job Corps Fire, was spotted by a fire detection flight by the Civil Air Patrol shortly before 3:00.

      Local, state, and federal crews responded with SEAT, single-engine air tanker, aircraft making 3 drops. Chief Martens says things went “really well” in getting the fire under control, although most firefighters remained in action until late night.

      Crews from the U-S Forest Service and Nebraska Game and Parks monitored the fire in the early morning hours with Chadron crews returning about 6:00 am to begin mop-up operations.

      The cause of the fire has not been released, but lightning is the most likely source of the blaze.