Wildfires burning in central Nebraska

NEAR LOUP CITY, Neb. (KSNB) - Fire departments have been busy responding to wildfires in central Nebraska Tuesday and Wednesday.

Multiple firefighters battled a large wildfire west of Loup City on Wednesday.

Sherman County Emergency Manager Dan Patterson said between 200 and 300 acres had burned as of 3 p.m. The fire is located about seven to eight miles west of Loup City.

Patterson advised drivers to use caution while traveling on Highway 92 in the area. The Loup City Fire Department requested evacuations for residents in the wildfire's path. Meanwhile, the Webster County Sheriff's Office says multiple agencies responded to a large fire northwest of Red Cloud on Wednesday. They urged people to stay away from the area so first responders can do their job. A fire weather warning is in effect for central Nebraska, where critical fire danger persists.

These are just two of several fires firefighters have been battling in recent days. On Tuesday, Chapman Volunteer Fire & Rescue responded to a combine and field fire near 7th and M Road. Farmers on the scene helped extinguish the main blaze, while firefighters addressed multiple hotspots. The department commended the farmers for their efforts in containing the fire, which was controlled within an hour.

Meanwhile, O'Neill Fire & Rescue reported being called for mutual aid Tuesday to a large grass fire north and west of O'Neill. Fire departments from Atkinson, Spencer, Butte, and Stuart also responded. O'Neill Fire said the fire was human-caused and warned the public to exercise caution, as high fire danger is expected to continue over the next few days.