Authorities in northeastern Nebraska say a Madison County man who was burning trash on his rural property northwest of Norfolk died Monday morning when the flames caught his clothing on fire.
Firefighters and Madison County Sheriff’s deputies called to the scene for a report of a fire found 72-year-old Stanley Acklie dead of burns. His body was near a fire that was burning several outbuildings on the property.
Sheriff Todd Volk said in a statement that Acklie had been burning trash when the fire apparently went out of control. The area has been under an elevated fire risk because of high winds and dry conditions.