Western Nebraska Wildfires
On March 12, 2026, several wildfires ignited in the High Plains of Nebraska. These wildfires quickly grew in the following hours, scorching hundreds of thousand of acres.
On that day, most of the Central US were under high wind alerts and red flag warnings, as a clipper low system moving across the northern US created a fierce windstorm. Winds and wind gusts from this storm were very strong, with some of the highest gusts in excess of 100 mph (160 kph). These winds combined with the dry atmospheric conditions aided in the ignition and explosive spread of the wildfires, prompting evacuations.
The three largest fires from this event are the Morrill Fire, the Road 203 Fire, and the Cottonwood Fire. The Morrill Fire is by far the biggest in terms of land burned, having scorched over 450,000 acres. The Road 203 Fire has burned just over 37,000 acres, while the Cottonwood Fire is 50,000 acres in size. As of March 13, 2026, all three fires are 0% contained.
The effects from these fires could even be felt in nearby states, as northeast Colorado experienced hazy skies and air quality issues from the wildfire smoke.
For more information on the fires, visit the Watch Duty website.
Satellite imagery of this event:
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