LYONS, NE— Robert Byrnes and his family were driving down U.S. 77 right after lunch Saturday when they noticed a wall of flames off to the east, roaring northward.

After reversing course, the family watched as the fire raced across farm fields and grassy waterways from the top of a hill along Nebraska Highway 51.

“It looked like we were going to miss it,” Byrnes, 57, said. “Farmers were discing and saved some other farmsteads.

“But it came in on the west side. I was out there with a garden hose trying to keep it off, but there was no way. It was on me so fast.”

The Byrneses were among the victims in an outbreak of wildfires across Nebraska over the weekend that killed one firefighter, injured at least 10 others, and scorched more than 50,000 acres.

Wind gusts of up to 50 mph and 60 mph propelled the flames in areas that are drier than normal due to a lack of winter snow and rain.

After 10 firefighters had been injured, the federal team of Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team One took over the coordination of the fight against the fire Sunday morning in southwest Nebraska.

The so-called Road 702 fire has consumed 41,155 acres of wooded draws, filled with dry cottonwood trees that continue to burn.

For the full article click HERE