South Fork Fire Daily Update: June 15, 2026

For their own safety and that of fire crews, the public is urged not to stop on Hwy. 20 in areas where firefighters are working.   

Evacuation levels have not changed today.  Please consult the attached evacuation summary.   

  Current Conditions: Containment is 55% and acreage is 38,914 with approximately 581 personnel assigned. Yesterday, firefighters focused their efforts on securing line on the fire’s western edge in the Soldier Creek Wilderness in Division Delta after the additional growth Friday night due to extreme easterly winds. On all the other areas of the fire, crews are securing and mopping up the containment line. This is expected to continue for several days. 

Where crews are actively working immediately south of Hwy. 20, on the southeastern edge in Division Alpha, fire managers ask the public not to stop in the fire area or on pull-offs adjacent to the fire.  This compromises public and firefighter safety and interferes with firefighters’ work.  Across the fire, night operations remain in place, with some resources located in Crawford, while the majority will be on the western active area of the fire.  

Weather and Fire Behavior: Today temperatures will be warmer and drier, with winds from the southwest until late morning, then from the west and finally from the northwest. Fire danger climbs rapidly today through Wednesday with rising temperatures and lower relative humidities. Lines will be tested during this time, especially on Wednesday which is expected to have the strongest winds. 

Air Quality - An Air Quality alert has been issued for Dawes County from 12 a.m. Sun. through noon Monday associated with the South Fork Fire. The forecast indicates low windspeeds and the potential for elevated PM2.5 levels in this area. For more 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 fight restrictions including drones and unmanned aircraft systems. These pose a significant risk to our aviation safety.