Wildfire burning near Nebraska National Forest

HALSEY, Neb. (KSNB) - Seventy firefighters from two states are on the scene of a wildfire just north of the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey.

U.S. Forest Service P.R. Technician Amanda Medaries said the Natick Fire started Wednesday afternoon near the Natick campground on the north side of the forest. The campground has not been burned, but Medaries said they have closed a road leading to the campground. The fire has spread northwest to the Middle Loup River in Thomas County and covers about three-and-a-half square miles.

Medaries said the fire was 50 percent contained as of late Thursday morning. The Forest Service doesn’t know what started the fire, but an investigator is on scene. Firefighters from Nebraska and South Dakota used bulldozers overnight to dig lines to prevent the fire from spreading further.

Medaries said no-one was injured so far.