Morrill Fire, Nebraska: Fire grows to 572,000 acres, maps and evacuations updated; victim identified as Rose White

The fire quickly spread across ranches in the Nebraska Panhandle and Sandhills regions, becoming the largest wildfire in the state’s history.

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reason:

Initial indications are that the fire may have been started by downed power lines during high winds, but officials have not yet confirmed the exact cause.

affected counties:

The fires primarily affected parts of Morrill, Garden, Arthur, Keith and Grant counties. It has spread north of Lake McConaughey and near areas such as Clear Creek, although in some areas it has not yet crossed the North Platte River.

Evacuations and Alerts:

All remaining evacuation orders in Keith County were lifted Sunday night, Watch Duty reported.

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death toll report:

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said a fire in Arthur County claimed one life Thursday. The victim was identified as 86-year-old Rose White.

Family said family was the center of White’s life. Each year, she gathers her loved ones to read the Christmas story from the family Bible. She was known for sending birthday and holiday cards to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“I really miss hearing her read that Christmas story every year,” Ross’ granddaughter-in-law Audrey White told News Channel Nebraska Panhandle. “She would hang up the phone to make sure no one was calling and interrupting. Whether people were taking pictures with their phones or not, she would have her disposable cameras out to make sure every moment was captured. I will miss her terribly.”