Wildfire — Buffalo, Nebraska

2025-03-22 · Buffalo, Nebraska

Event narrative

At approximately 2PM CDT, a wildfire started roughly three miles north-northwest of Riverdale, near the intersection of Dove Hill Road and 133rd Road. Driven by south-southwesterly winds gusting over 40 MPH, this fire quickly spread, burning approximately 700 acres along a 2-3 mile path. The fire was extinguished several hours later near the intersection of 175th and Riverdale Road. No injuries were reported, but one home, a few outbuildings, and one fire department truck were lost in the fire. At least 27 fire departments responded to assist with the fire, as well as around one dozen farmers and agricultural companies.

Wider weather episode

On this Saturday, the region sat under generally westerly upper level flow, set up between departing weak ridging to the east and another approaching shortwave disturbance moving onto the High Plains. The previous day, the 21st, a passing surface cold front had ushered more westerly winds and a drier, continental airmass into the region. As the daytime hours passed on the 22nd, the surface pressure gradient tightened across the region, sitting between an area of low pressure and accompanying southward extending trough axis moving further east into the Dakotas and High Plains, and an area of high pressure which was slow to shift east through the Midwest. This resulted in strong south-southwesterly winds and increased mixing potential, with wind gusts of 45-55 MPH at times across portions of south central Nebraska mainly west of Highway 281. While not an overly warm day with afternoon highs topping out in the 60s, dewpoints mainly in the 20s resulted in relative humidity values dropping into the upper teen to lower 20 percent range, especially across areas along and west of Highway 281. A wildfire started just north of the town of Riverdale around 2PM CDT, eventually burning approximately 700 acres, a home, a few outbuildings, and one fire truck before being extinguished several hours later.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1248999. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.