NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska—Salvation Army Western Division personnel are providing relief and support to evacuees and first responders as a series of wildfires sweeps across remote parts of the area around North Platte.
The fires began late Monday morning just north of the west-central Nebraska town and quickly spread due to high winds and warm temperatures. Multiple fire departments were called in as residents in rural areas near North Platte—among them, the town of Stapleton—were evacuated.
Salvation Army teams sprang into action in response to the fires. Locally, The Salvation Army North Platte Corps opened an emergency shelter Monday for fire crews and those affected by the wildfires. Meantime, a Western Divisional Headquarters group set out from Omaha Monday afternoon with food and supplies.
Early Tuesday, North Platte Salvation Army representatives, Omaha-based Salvation Army staff who’d driven to North Platte, and congregants from a local church all teamed up to provide grab-and-go breakfasts to first responders.
Later Tuesday, Salvation Army teams will work with church representatives to provide a lunch-and-dinner feeding operation for evacuees and firefighters at the local National Guard Armory. Additionally, The Salvation Army is preparing to provide snacks and hydration to the hundreds of firefighters who have been responding to the wildfires.
Community members who’d like to assist are asked to drop off snack foods, sports drinks, and bottled water at one of two locations: The Salvation Army North Platte Corps at 1020 N. Adams Ave. or the Armory at 1700 N. Jeffers Street.
Monday evening, Nebraska’s governor issued a disaster declaration for the two affected counties, Custer and Lincoln. As of early Tuesday morning, a total of 24 fire departments had been called in to battle the fires in this mostly rural area.
Salvation Army teams will continue to provide disaster-relief support in North Platte and the surrounding area for as long as they are needed.
