Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3
Casey Cheesbrough, Jay Miller, Incident Commanders
Fire Information: Phone: 303-219-6551 (9am – 7pm), Email: 2026.road203@firenet.gov Incident website: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nenbf-road-203-fire
Size: 35,913 | Containment: 76% | Location: Halsey, NE |
Resources: 3 Aircraft, 16 Engines, 4 Heavy Equipment | Total Personnel: 118
Current Situation: Firefighters continued making steady progress yesterday, increasing containment to 76% on the Road 203 Fire. With a decrease in fire activity and positive progress in containment, the Road 203 Fire complexity has lessened, and a smaller group of resources will begin managing the fire Thursday morning. Although there may be less of a noticeable presence of fire resources in and around the communities, fire managers will continually evaluate the forecast and expected fire behavior to ensure an adequate number of resources are staffing the fire.
Containment lines will be monitored and patrolled. Firefighters will continue using UTVs in areas inaccessible to engines to locate and extinguish any remaining heat inside the fire perimeter.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems will be used along uncontained portions of the fire perimeter to locate pockets of heat using infrared technology. This process helps crews quickly locate areas of heat while reducing firefighter exposure to hazards by pinpointing where extinguishment is needed.
Weather & Fire Behavior: A red flag warning will be in effect from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. as temperatures will reach the mid-70s. Winds will be out of the west southwest at 6-13 mph with gusts up to 25 mph and relative humidity will drop to 20-25%. Winds are predicted to decrease and temperatures increase as the week progresses.
Evacuations and Closures: Bessey Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest is closed to ensure safety for the public and crews responding to the Road 203 Fire. For further information and to view the official closure, go to: www.fs.usda.gov/r02/nebraska/alerts/road-203-fire-area-closure
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Road 203 Fire. All unauthorized aircraft (including drones) are prohibited from flying near the fire, as they can interfere with authorized air support operations. IF YOU FLY, WE CAN’T. For more information, visit https://tfr.faa.gov.
