South Fork Fire Daily Update: June 17, 2026
Current Conditions: Containment on the South Fork Fire is 80% and acreage is 39,057 acres with approximately 482 personnel assigned. Lines held during yesterday’s windy weather.
The fire was generally quiet yesterday, though several areas of heat were discovered. Ash devils were seen from Hwy. 20 near Crawford. The activity posed no threat to surrounding communities. In Division Delta on the west side of the fire, areas of heat were detected adjacent to the line and were extinguished. Fire managers ordered a NIROPS flight to check the area for any other areas of heat. NIROPS is the National Infrared Operations program, a specialized U.S. government program that uses aircraft equipped with thermal imaging to map active wildfires, locate hotspots, and provide critical fire intelligence. Firefighters are closely watching the area of burning cottonwood trees on the south end of the fire in Division Alpha, south of Hwy. 20. They are allowing the fire to slowly consume the trees.
Yesterday, the evacuation status for the Fort Robinson campus proper was DOWNGRADED to "SET" (Be Prepared).
Weather and Fire Behavior: Today, a strong cold front early morning will produce gusty northwest winds of 45-55 mph through sunset. A fire weather watch remains in effect through 9 pm today for low relative humidity and gusty winds. Lines will be tested, as the fire is expected to encounter the strongest winds. Any new start outside the fire footprint has the potential to be very similar to the fire behavior at the start of the South Fork fire
Air Quality – For current air quality information, visit forecast.weather.gov. Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality. Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution https://tinyurl.com/prepare-for-poor-air-quality
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): tfr.faa.gov The South Fork Fire is currently under a TFR. Please respect the flight restrictions, including drones and unmanned aircraft systems. These pose a significant risk to our aviation safety.