By Marisa Dawson, Photos By Jake Needham

As devastating wildfires continue to scorch central and western Nebraska, marking some of the largest in state history, fire departments from across the state have mobilized to support containment efforts. The Bennington Fire Department sent one of its brush trucks, Engine 620, along with a two-man crew, Firefighter/Paramedic Jake Needham and Firefighter/EMT Kaden Ross, earlier this week to assist with operations amid the ongoing blazes.

The wildfires, including the massive Morrill Fire (which has burned over 643,000 acres and become the largest in Nebraska history), the Cottonwood Fire, and others, have collectively scorched hundreds of thousands of acres. Fueled by dry conditions, high winds, and critical fire weather, these fires have forced evacuations, claimed at least one life, and severely impacted ranching communities by destroying grazing lands and hay stockpiles essential for cattle.

Assistant Chief Chad Nixon of the Bennington Fire Department explained the deployment process with contact coming from NEMA and the TRI Mutual Aid Association. “They asked if we would have any resources, whether that was a grass truck and or personnel that we were able to send out there to assist,” Nixon added.

The goal, Nixon emphasized, is straightforward. “The goal obviously is to get the fire put out and help to take some of the stress and burden off of the local responders, plus provide as much coverage and help as we can,” he said.

Jake Needham and Kaden Ross were selected for their qualifications. Needham holds a red card certification for wildland firefighting, while Ross’s familiarity with the western terrain, having grown up in the North Platte area, made him a strong fit. “We felt like it was a good fit for them to be able to go out there and provide a service,” Nixon said.

The assignment marks the first time Bennington has sent firefighters out of the area for a wildfire deployment, something that had been meaningful for the department. “This is the first deployment opportunity for the Bennington Fire Department, so it’s an amazing opportunity for us to go out and help with such an event,” Needham said.

He added that the scale of the incident also played a role in his decision to volunteer. “This is the largest wildland fire in the history of Nebraska and being able to be involved in it is a unique experience,” he said. “I know that there are quite a few crews from other states with a lot of wildland experience currently there, so it will be very cool to be able to connect with these crews and learn from them.”

Ross, who is originally from North Platte and has family still in the area, said the deployment also carried a personal connection. “It’s kind of cool to be down here with Bennington because I’m originally from North Platte and my brother lives in Keystone-Lemoyne… and he’s also a career firefighter for North Platte,” Ross said.

With less than a day to prepare before departure, Needham said the team focused on ensuring their equipment was ready for the long deployment. “Preparations mostly included getting 620, our brush truck, stocked with supplies that we would need and things topped off before we left town,” he said. “We had less than 24 hours before we left so making sure everything was in service and stocked well was important for us.”

While Bennington crews are trained in brush and grass fires, Nixon noted that wildfires in western Nebraska present unique challenges due to the Sandhills terrain and vast, remote landscapes. “Geographically the terrain is different,” he said. “Most of ours are fields, it’s somewhat drivable most of the time… where those areas are a little bit of a different challenge than what we’re used to on the eastern side of the state.”

Upon arrival, Ross said the Bennington crew was briefed that their initial assignment would focus on mop-up operations and monitoring hot spots. Ross added, “A big challenge is just figuring out how all this works down here. This is a first for many of us.”

Despite the learning curve, Ross said the experience of working alongside crews from across the country has already been valuable. “Honestly we are learning a whole bunch from other crews out here. There’s guys from Utah who have been extremely helpful and knowledgeable about all of this. It’s cool to see a complex incident management team working and how huge the logistics are.”

Both Ross and Nixon emphasized that wildfires in western Nebraska affect more than open grassland, pushing back on the misconception that the fires are less serious because they are in sparsely populated areas.

“People from Bennington don’t realize how much the fires affect people out here,” Ross said. “They don’t realize how much of an effect that has on the ecosystem and grazing land for cattle.” Nixon added to that statement, noting the economic ripple effects when pastureland and hay supplies are destroyed. “That is the food source right now for those cattle,” he said. “It is a comfort knowing that we don’t have as big of a risk here… but it’s still people’s lives and still people’s property and their livelihoods that are affected by that.”

The deployment reflects a long-standing culture of mutual aid within the fire service, Nixon said, where departments across Nebraska routinely support each other during major incidents. “The fire service is a brotherhood, sisterhood and we take a lot of pride in helping each other,” he said. “The state of Nebraska in and of itself is neighbors helping neighbors.”

Balancing that assistance with the need to protect their own community is always a consideration, Nixon added, but the department felt confident sending the two firefighters. “There’s a sense of pride in being able to help when we can,” he said. “We know they’re well trained, they’re hard working, they’re going to do a good job and represent Bennington with hard work and dedication.”

For Needham, the opportunity is about more than just responding to a single incident.

“My initial thought as we were heading out there was that it would be a great opportunity for us to go out to assist with ongoing operations and be a resource for the crews that were already working,” he said. “We don’t know what to fully expect so we’re excited for the opportunity.”

As containment efforts continue across the state, the Bennington crew remains on assignment, working long operational periods alongside firefighters from Nebraska and beyond to bring the historic wildfires under control.