Overview
- The Cottonwood Fire stands at 128,192 acres and 94% contained, while the Morrill Fire is 643,074 acres and 98% contained, according to Saturday’s incident update.
- The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning through early Sunday with record 90s heat, single-digit humidity, westerly winds up to 35 mph, and an overnight shift to stronger northerly gusts to 45 mph.
- Fire managers have staged three initial-attack groups in Oshkosh, Keystone, and Brady to respond statewide as crews continue patrolling perimeters and extinguishing hotspots.
- Nebraska and Iowa National Guard Black Hawk helicopters are conducting water drops on burning and smoldering vegetation, and Temporary Flight Restrictions remain over parts of both fires after being reduced Friday.
- Interior flare-ups in dense eastern redcedar are producing smoke without crossing lines, and a small, hazardous-to-access area near Lake McConaughy remains uncontained but is being monitored.