Overview
- Governor Jim Pillen declared a state of emergency for Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith, Lincoln, Dawson and Frontier counties, alongside a statewide burn ban through March 27 and a campfire ban at state parks and wildlife areas.
- Officials reported several large fires, including about 330,000 acres burned in Morrill County, 50,000 in Lincoln County, 36,000 across Thomas, Custer, Logan and Blaine counties, and 5,000 in Cherry County.
- One incident, the Road 203 Fire near Halsey and Dunning, began when a prescribed burn at the Chokecherry site spread outside its project area, according to Inciweb.
- Evacuations and road closures were issued as fast-moving flames advanced with shifting winds, and NEMA logged 24 wildfire reports in the past 24 hours.
- The National Weather Service in Pueblo warned of poor air quality as smoke from Nebraska pushed into the Pueblo area, advising residents to take precautions.