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Crews Finish Fighting Fire at National Forest siteOfficials Still Seek Information on the Cause, Deemed "Human," Whether Intentional or Not.

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 18:02 CST

By Paul Hammel

LINCOLN -- Some firefighting crews were sent home Tuesday after a three-day battle with a wildfire that blackened 5,576 acres of the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey.

Flames were out, and firefighters mopped up hot spots as the fire was 100 percent contained. No buildings were damaged, and the vast majority of burned acres were grasslands.

Local authorities were expected to take over management of the fire scene today, said Brenda Bowen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service in Spearfish, S.D.

The acreage burned was lowered from 9,600 acres to 5,576 after Global Positioning System (GPS) readings were taken Monday, said Jerry Schumacher, a Forest Service spokesman in Chadron, Neb.

Weather conditions Tuesday were ideal for finishing the firefighting activities, with lower winds and temperatures in the 40s.

About 100 firefighters were working the fire. They included workers from the Forest Service, National Park Service, State of South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression team and Thedford Volunteer Fire Department.

Officials are still seeking information on who might have caused the fire, which has been deemed "human caused."

Smoke was first spotted Sunday about nine miles southeast of Thedford, a Sand Hills community 67 miles north of North Platte.

"Any time a fire is started on the national forest and it's intentional or unintentional, there's a possibility that person could be held liable for the cost of suppression," Schumacher said.

Source: Omaha World - Herald

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