It was big, but the Morrill Fire isn’t the largest wildfire in Nebraska’s history

Fire crews recently fully contained the Morrill Fire after it burned 642,029 acres, according to local managers.

Officials on Saturday transferred command of the fire to local departments after containing the fire on Tuesday, less than two weeks after the fire started. Crews patrolling the fire’s interior didn’t observe any fire activity, despite there being critical fire weather on Wednesday. Fire managers acknowledged that numerous patches of vegetation within the fire’s interior were unburned, and scattered flare-ups within the interior remained a possibility, but said preserving unburned grass and vegetation within the interior would be the highest priority for local fire officials.

The Morrill Fire was declared the “largest wildfire in state history” by Gov. Jim Pillen and other local officials after it burned 460,000 acres two days after it started. Numerous news outlets, including Wildfire Today, then amplified the claim, but historians are pushing back against it.

At least one much larger fire burned off a major section of Nebraska and the Great Plains in 1865, and it was deliberately set by the U.S. Army to drive Native Americans out of a valley outside present-day Omaha, according to the Nebraska State Historical Society. Gen. Robert E. Mitchell allegedly requested that every ranch and military outpost in the valley set the prairie on fire on Jan. 27.

The 1865 fire burned for three hundred miles soon after starting but then joined in a massive conflagration driven by strong winds, the Society said, referencing Eugene F. Ware’s 1911 book “The Indian War of 1864.” The fire was still burning three days later, with the flames reaching Kansas, Colorado, and the Texas Panhandle.

The entire section of Nebraska south of the Platte River and west of Fort Kearny was left blackened and desolate, driving away the wildlife that Native Americans relied on, according to the Society. Despite there being no official acreage reported, the multi-state burned area was much larger than the Morrill Fire’s footprint.

Click here to read more from the Nebraska State Historical Society.

Europe launches broad strategy on growing wildfire threats

The European Commission has launched a new strategy to tackle the rising wildfire threat following a summer that burnt one million hectares, an area bigger than Cyprus.

The European Commission’s integrated wildfire strategy covers prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. It cites European Environment Agency’s European Climate Risk Assessment on how fire risk is spreading well beyond the Mediterranean, to Scandinavia, central Europe and the northwest. What was once a regional seasonal threat is becoming a continent-wide, year-round reality.

Wildfire damage to property and infrastructure costs Europe an estimated €2.5 billion (USD 2.9 billion) every year. The likelihood of such extreme fires is expected to more than double by the end of the century.

The action plan for the EU is long and detailed, and includes many steps on landscape management and restoration, support for prescribed burning, promotion of grazing and forestry to reduce wildfire risk, enhancement of the Copernicus European Forest Fire Information System for fuel mapping, more opportunities for research through Horizon Europe, initiatives to raise community awareness and education through its European Citizens Panel, increase coordinated response across Europe, and support post-fire recovery of communities and landscapes. The list goes on.

Two highlight actions include:

A new European firefighting hub in Cyprus, serving as a centre of excellence for training and seasonal readiness across the region. The new European firefighting hub will have a dual role: operational, to respond to wildfire emergencies; and capacity building. It is expected to host a centre of excellence, focusing on capacity building, training, exercises, and seasonal readiness, relying on the technical expertise and resources of the EU. Cyprus media is reporting that the EU has confirmed the hub will be co-financed between the EU and Cyprus.  “Cyprus is responsible for the infrastructure, while we contribute through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) in training, exchange of best practices, preparedness and so on,” the EU said.

An expanded EU firefighting fleet, known as rescEU, with 12 new “medium amphibious” firefighting planes and five helicopters. The planes will be hosted by six EU countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, and Greece. The 5 helicopters will be hosted by Czechia, Slovakia, and Romania. The first new helicopters will be operational in 2026 and the first new airplanes by 2028. The first helicopter has already been delivered to Romania.

The statement makes it clear that this announcement poses no new costs. “Today’s communication does not impose any costs on Member States. On the contrary, it seeks to promote more efficiency in wildfires management.”

Roxana Mînzatu, the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness at the European Commission, explained the need for the statement.

“Europe must be ready before the first fire starts. That means building a real culture of preparedness: equipping people with the right skills, supporting firefighters and first responders, and helping communities understand the risks they face. Today’s strategy shows that prevention, preparedness and solidarity must go hand in hand if we want to save lives and strengthen Europe’s resilience against worsening wildfire threats.”

Wildfire Today reported on steps towards a European firefighting hub earlier this year, when an EU Commissioner prematurely announced some details. Soon after, the EU officially pulled back on that “announcement” and referred to the existing cooperative arrangements in place.

Wildfire Today also recently reported on Europe’s readiness for the next summer.

European wildfire 2025, by European Forest Fires Information System.
European wildfire 2025, by European Forest Fires Information System.

UK Wildfire 2026 heads to Leeds

The devastating effects of wildfire on Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands 2025 is a scene that is becoming more frequent across the UK. Credit The Heather Trust.

With many significant wildfire events across the United Kingdom in recent years the scale and impact of these events are increasingly straining the ability to prepare and respond. With that in mind, the 2026 UK Wildfire Conference has launched with the theme New Perspectives, Shared Solutions.

The 2026 UK Wildfire Conference is from 10-11 November at Headingley Stadium in Leeds. The website has details on how to participate as a delegate, a speaker, a poster presenter or as a sponsor. The deadline is 24 April 2026 for speaker submissions.

Photo above. The devastating effects of wildfire on Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands 2025 is a scene that is becoming more frequent across the UK. Credit The Heather Trust.

Professor Gareth Clay, Chair of the 2026 Wildfire Conference Steering Group, explained why this event will appeal to a wide audience:

“The conference will appeal to anyone who has an interest in UK wildfires, how we can learn from international examples and how lessons from the UK can be applied elsewhere. We welcome attendance from across sectors from those who currently work on wildfires, or who are looking to expand their activities and knowledge of wildfire – which is an increasing threat to both rural and urban communities and landscapes. You may be a conference regular, or this may be your first time – all are welcome.”

Delegates will hear from experts about the latest research and innovations in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, and have the opportunity to discuss with colleagues, ways to enhance working together. 

Event hosts – the England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF) – are keen to encourage collaborative thinking and promote cross-sector planning and preparedness. “The conference will be a showcase for the whole UK wildfire community,” said Prof Clay. “We hope that all delegates leave the event with a greater understanding of the latest research and practice and an increased awareness of opportunities to share knowledge across different sectors.”

The conference is being organised by The Heather Trust charity on behalf of EWWF.

The England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF) is a multi-agency stakeholder group of public, private and third-sector parties which works to address wildfire issues. England and Wales Wildfire Forum | Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service

The Heather Trust works to promote the sustainable management of uplands and heather moorlands across the UK. The Heather Trust

The International Association of Wildland Fire is an official Partner in the UK Wildfire 2026 conference.

When are wildfire evacuations most dangerous? Research finds leaving late risks lives

“Once you’re on the road, it may already be too late.”

The somber warning was recently given by researchers who analyzed hundreds of self-recorded videos from people evacuating from wildfires. They were studying driving behaviour during emergency evacuations to learn why and when people choose to evacuate and understand how those decisions put lives at risk.

The riskiest place to be during a wildfire is often on the road in a vehicle, according to the research in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. Examples from Australia’s Black Saturday wildfires in 2009, where 35 of 173 of the fatalities occurred during evacuation, and other evacuation fatalities during the 2023 wildfire in Yellowknife, Canada, and the 2018 wildfire in Paradise, California, drove the researchers to try to figure out the common decisions made by people trying to escape.

Of the 116 bushfire-driving videos analyzed (plus 183 flood-driving videos) from You Tube, many people either evacuated late after realizing the situation was more dangerous than they first thought, or drove back to defend their property, the researchers said in an article published in The Conversation, which includes links to many of the videos.

“The clearest advice remains to avoid these situations altogether by evacuating early,” the researchers said in the article. “Ultimately, the safest option is to avoid hazardous driving wherever possible.”

The researchers found that the strongest motivator for when people decided to evacuate, whether late or early, was the presence of other vehicles on evacuation routes. The study reinforced the role of peer behavior in real-time decision-making, leading the researchers to recommend targeted public messaging that explicitly addresses social influence to guide safer decision-making, even when others are engaging in risky behavior.

In another recently published research report, the importance of leaving early rather than late was underscored. This study looked at how the assumptions of emergency managers could create overly optimist estimates of time needed to evacuate by road.

A doctoral dissertation from Arthur Rohaert at Lund University determined that people evacuating from fires drive slower and leave larger gaps between vehicles, signaling that evacuation time estimates may be overly optimistic if simulations don’t take these otherwise small habits into account. Rohaert analyzed traffic data from evacuations during California’s 2019 Kincade Fire and 2020 Glass Fire and used the findings to develop a more robust evacuation simulation framework taking the behavioral patterns of drivers into account.

“The findings challenge intuitive assumptions about evacuation planning, such as the notion that having more evacuation routes consistently improves outcomes,” Rohaert said in his paper. “While this may be known in traffic engineering, it might be less so in emergency management. The findings, therefore, emphasise the need for traffic simulation tools to assess the effectiveness of strategies.”

Read the full disseration here.

Fire burns down historic building at key fire research complex

A historic home at a world-leading fire research complex was consumed by a lightning fire on Tuesday and burnt to the ground.

The historic Beadel House, on the Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy complex near Tallahassee, Florida in the United States, was completely lost despite the efforts of the Tallahassee Fire Department. One firefighter was reportedly injured in the fire, according to station officials.

A severe storm caused a lightning strike on Beadel House, which contained many historical artefacts and four staff offices. Tall Timbers is a research, conservation and education organization focused on the role of fire and promoting prescribed burning.

The home was built in 1895 by Edward Beadel, a New York architect who frequented the area to hunt quail. The home’s second owner, Edward’s nephew Henry Beadel, was a naturalist who was one of the pioneers in popularizing the use of fire as a land management tool among European settlers of the U.S. Henry was also a noted nature photographer, and his photos were housed in the building.

Firefighters were able to remove a handful of artifacts before the home burned down, but the research station’s officials did not specify which artifacts were saved.

“If you would like to help Tall Timbers build back, online donations are open,” the research station posted on its website. “Your support will provide Tall Timbers with the funding to rebuild the facilities needed for our growing organization. For questions regarding giving please contact Development Director, Crystal Rice (850) 545-2162 or cdrice@talltimbers.org.”

The International Association of Wildland Fire’s 4th International Smoke Symposium, scheduled for March 23 – next week – at Tall Timbers, is in a different building and will continue as scheduled. The Association sent the following message to registered conference attendees:
 
This loss has shaken not only the Tall Timbers community, but the broader fire community as well. As we are gathering next week, we ask that you keep the Tall Timbers team in your thoughts as they navigate this difficult moment.
 
The event will continue as scheduled, and we appreciate your support, compassion, and solidarity during this time.

Critically important prairie widely burned in Nebraska’s largest wildfire

A wildfire has burned nearly 600,000 acres of land in and around a vitally important national wildlife refuge in Nebraska, becoming the state’s largest wildfire ever recorded since igniting on March 12.

The Morrill Fire traveled over 70 miles in under 12 hours after starting in the state’s Morrill County, triggering numerous evacuations and the activation of agricultural irrigation systems, according to fire crews working the scene. Gov. Jim Pillen has since issued an emergency proclamation and statewide burn ban in response to the Morrill Fire and the Cottonwood Fire, which has burned over 121,000 acres southeast of Morrill.

There are currently four major active fires across Nebraska, in a week that recorded more than two dozen fire starts. For updates, follow the Facebook page of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency. The Nebraska-based Salvation Army Western Division announced on Sunday that it is raising funds in response to the wildfires in western and central Nebraska.

UPDATE – 24 March 2026: Information from Watch Duty Tuesday evening said the Morrill Fire was 98% contained, the Cottonwood Fire is 98% contained and the Road 203 Fire was 90% contained. All remain at Active status. Weather is favorable and fire behavior is minimal.

Both 100 and 1000-hour fuel moistures are at historic low levels in the area, making tall grass and invasive red cedar in the area potent fuel for the Morrill Fire, crews said. Despite single-digit temperatures and the presence of snow in the area, gusts over 50 mph are expected to increase fire spread, especially with more dry weather and near record-high temperatures forecast later in the week.

The vast majority of the Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge has burned in the Morrill Fire, infrared flyover maps show. The refuge is located in the Nebraska Sandhills, labeled by researchers as the world’s most important intact prairie due to its status as one of the world’s last large native prairies that has not substantially been modified or converted to farmland.

Sand hills and cattle between Tyron and Arthur, Nebraska. July 9, 2018. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication.

Managers at the refuge and local private landowners have been utilizing prescribed burns in the area to manage specific grasses and improve the habitat for various plant and animal species that call the refuge’s 21 wetland complexes home, many of which were present before European colonization of the area began.

Fire has also been used to protect the prairie against its gravest immediate threat of woody encroachment, including red cedars. Apart from fueling massive fires like the Morrill Fire, the trees also displace grasslands grazed by livestock and enjoyed by native wildlife, according to University of Nebraska researchers.

“They’re all losing ground to woody plants,” Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture Dirac Twidwell said of the prairie in a 2022 article. “We are going to lose those regions if we don’t halt that expansion. The evidence shows that we are not doing a good enough job conserving North America’s grasslands. We have to re-evaluate our conservation mindset if we are actually going to prove that we can conserve this biome within a private-lands ideology.”

Nebraska wildfires March 2026. Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Nebraska wildfires March 2026. Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

Scotland prepares for more wildfires following on from record 2025 season

Scotland fire officials are hoping to stop a repeat of the country’s historically active 2025 wildfire season with a list of immediate actions in a new “Strategic Action Plan.”

The country is still recovering from the environmental damage caused in last year’s 241 fires, the most ever recorded in that nation’s history, according to the Scottish Wildfire Forum. Scotland also recorded its largest-ever single wildfire in 2025 – the Dava Fire that burned nearly 10,000 hectares (24,000 acres) to become the largest wildfire in the United Kingdom’s history.

In response to the historic fire year, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the nation’s lawmakers developed the new plan that focuses on building up the country’s wildfire preparedness, planning and response for the 2026 season and beyond.

The plan’s key actions include:

  • Investing in new wildfire units, vehicles, equipment and specialist capabilities
  • Reviewing helicopter protocols and strengthening aerial support during wildfire risk periods
  • Creating new fire prevention bylaws in national parks and on private land
  • Enhancing local and regional Incident Response Plans
  • Strengthening multi-agency training
  • Increasing wildfire mitigation education and engagement

“This plan sets out decisive, practical and evidence‑based actions to improve public awareness, strengthen prevention and preparedness, enhance our wildfire warning systems, and ensure a coordinated, multi‑agency response,” the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said on its website.

“Through this Action Plan, we reaffirm our collective responsibility: government, public bodies, land managers, communities and individuals all have a part to play in reducing wildfire risks and protecting our natural environment for future generations. Working together, we can improve Scotland’s resilience and ensure we are better prepared for the challenges the changing climate will continue to bring.”

More than one million hectares were burnt by wildfires across Europe in 2025, marking the highest burned area total in the region since record keeping began two decades ago, according to the EU’s European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The total surpassed the EU’s previous peak recorded in 2017, with the vast majority of burned land happening in the Iberian Peninsula after August 5.

Click here to read Scotland’s full strategic action plan for wildfires.

WFCC returns to Canada in 2026

The combined Wildland Fire Canada Conference and Canadian Smoke Forum unites wildland fire management agencies, Indigenous knowledge holders, scientists and community members from across Canada and around the world.

This biennial conference focuses on wildland fire management, science and knowledge sharing with the latest research, technology and practices. The last WFCC was in 2024 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The first was in 2010 in Kitchener, Ontario.

The theme for 2026 is Connecting Operations, Research and Community Action.

Get involved. Contribute. Participate.
👩‍🦱As a Presenter – share your work, your experience, your knowledge.
👨‍👨‍👧 As a Workshop host – create a forum to exchange ideas and knowledge.
🚒As a Sponsor or Exhibitor 🚁 – show your support and get access and exposure to the decision makers.

Submit presentation and workshop proposals by March 30, 2026.

WFCC26 is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada from 19-23 October 2026.

wildlandfirecanada.com