10 Years After 2012 Niobrara River Valley Fires: What Has Changed in Wildfire Prevention and Response?

In the opening hours, of what was to become known as the Region 24 Complex Fire, firefighters thought the fire would be stopped at the Niobrara River. But strong winds quickly blew burning embers north across the Niobrara River and the fight was on. The fire covered a total of 76,242 acres in Brown, Cherry and Keya Paha Counties.

Shown above is the SEAT (single engine airtanker) at the SEAT Base in Valentine. As a part of LB634, the Wildfire Control Act of 2013, the contracted SEAT plane is available to volunteer fire departments during the summer each year. Photo credit: Nebraska Forest Service

Shown above is an example of a Salamander ID Card. Salamander is a checkin system for emergency response personnel and equipment.