South Fork Fire Update: June 12, 2026
RELEASE DATE: Jun 12, 2026
*Update: According to Amanda Gehrt with the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands, the comment “Residents may notice less smoke in the area as suppression efforts continue to be effective” isn’t necessarily true at this point as there is a decent column going up right now.
Fire Update: South Fork Fire
Friday, June 12, 2026 — 9 a.m. MDT
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 2
Incident Commander Jay Mickey
Phone (public and media inquiries): 308-775-5438
Email: 2026.southfork@firenet.gov
South Fork Fire Community Meeting will be held in Crawford Community Center, 1005 1st Street, Crawford, NE Friday, June 12, at 6 p.m.
Current Condition: Crews made progress securing fire line on the west side of the fire yesterday, contributing to an increase in overall containment, which is now 7%. Total acres after yesterday’s growth is 28,067. Approximately 245 personnel are on the fire. Heavy equipment was utilized where terrain allowed, while hand crews continued working in steep and rugged areas along the northern perimeter with support from aviation resources. Protecting the community of Crawford remains a top priority. Significant progress was made along the eastern edge of the fire, where dozers, engines, and aviation resources strengthened containment lines and reduced fire activity. Residents may notice less smoke in the area as suppression efforts continue to be effective. Crews also continued working along the southern perimeter, extinguishing residual heat and preventing further spread. Around Fort Robinson, suppression efforts have significantly reduced the threat to the area. Crews continue to monitor and patrol around Fort Robinson.
Weather and Fire Behavior: Weather conditions on the South Fork Fire are expected to become warmer and drier tomorrow, with shifting wind directions throughout the day. Southwest winds may produce ridge-top gusts up to 45 mph around dawn before shifting northwest ahead of a weak front and northeast later in the evening. While winds are expected to be lighter than previous days, gusts of 20 to 25 mph remain possible. Temperatures are forecast to reach the 80s, with relative humidity dropping to around 10 percent. These conditions may support Increased fire activity along the northern portion of the fire perimeter where receptive fuels and persistent dry conditions remain. As winds shift throughout the day, activity may also increase along the eastern side of the fire. Active burning within unburned areas of the fire remains possible.
Evacuations and Closures: NEW CLOSURE - White River Trail is closed from Crawford City Park to Fort Robinson. Nebraska Emergency Managers with Region 23 issued evacuation notices for Fort Robinson State Park and a portion of the city of Crawford. The evacuation area includes locations immediately north of Crawford, including areas south of Dodd Road, west of Dodd Road, and Dodd Road itself, at Holmgren Road. The Ponderosa Villa assisted living facility has been evacuated. Fort Robinson State Park has been evacuated until further notice. A total of 22 structures and 95 people are currently under active evacuation orders. The Red Cross established community shelter options at Chadron State College and is currently set up to support sheltering efforts. A preliminary evacuation notice has also been issued for the entire city of Crawford.
Residents are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of evacuation. For guidance on how to prepare, visit Ready.gov.
Air Quality: Smoke from wildfires can affect people differently, and some individuals are more vulnerable to health impacts than others. The primary health concern from wildfire smoke is fine particulate matter, especially PM 2.5, which affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
• For Nebraska air quality information: https://dwee.nebraska.gov/smoke-and-air-quality.
• Air Quality Guide: Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution
South Fork Fire Update: June 12, 2026