The Bovee Fire was reported at 1:38 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, and quickly spread up to 15 miles north, pushed through dry fuels by gusty south winds. Aggressive structure protection efforts by Forest Service and local firefighters successfully defended the historic Bessey Nursery and CCC Campground. Unfortunately, the lodge and camper cabins of the Nebraska 4H Camp were destroyed, along with the Scout Lookout Tower. The fire’s cause is under investigation.
The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 was ordered and assumed command of the fire at 6 pm on October 3, 2022. KVSH contacted Brian Scott with the management team who has been at Halsey since Monday evening. Mr. Scott told KVSH that thanks to some precipitation and higher humidity, most of the fire is cooler. There are still some hot spots including smolder shelterbelts North of Highway 2. South of Highway 2, in the forest, there are still tree areas that flare up and logs smoldering. At this time Scott stated there is low activity.
The size of the fire remains uncertain. They have not been able to fly over the area to properly map the burn area. They hope to accomplish that today. There still over 200 personnel on the scene. That does not include all local volunteers and fire departments, which Scott credits with helping stop the fire on Sunday night and Monday morning.
Stay tuned to KVSH Radio for updates.