LINCOLN, Neb. -- Firefighters are still battling the Plum Creek Fire near Johnstown and consider it zero percent contained.

One non-residential structure has been damaged and several heads of cattle were lost for at least one producer, according to NCN reporter Casey Wonnenberg and Ervin Portis with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

With an unprecedented drought, Gov. Jim Pillen felt it was necessary to enact a statewide burn ban.

“It's so dry in Nebraska and we think it's normal. As farmers and ranchers, we want everything to be perfect on our farm, and we want to burn our trees to do these burns, but it's not normal," said Governor Jim Pillen. “It's way too dry. And it doesn't make any sense. Fundamentally, I'm like most Nebraskans don't like to be told by the government what to do.”

"I can tell you that making this decision myself and our team haven't lived in a hole. We've talked to a lot of people. I've talked to a lot of folks across the state today. And at the end of the conversation, each person said, please, please put a ban on. So from my seat today, probably for Nebraska farmers and ranchers, my only regret would maybe be to not have done this sooner."

Early guesses were ranging from 12 to 14-thousand acres after the first day, and an update of up to 24 thousand on Wednesday.

It has three separate locations burning because of the winds during those days.

A more accurate assessment of acreage is placed at around 7 thousand after doing an aircraft flight with digital technology to map the area.

A prescribed burn, put on by professionals with the Nebraska Game and Parks, getting away from them and forcing firefighters into a battle now extending beyond 48 hours.

“If you look at Nebraska as a whole, over 90% of our fires are caused by us and different things that we're doing,” said Nebraska State Forester/Director John Erixson. “If you look over the last 25 years, burning, prescribed burning or debris burning is one of the chief causes. It's about 35% of all our fires this year. We've had about 172 fires associated with some sort of prescribed burn. That's about 55% of all the fires we've had so far this year.”

Pillen also authorized the Nebraska National Guard to mobilize 29 soldiers and airmen to assist local volunteer fire departments, which are currently battling the Plum Creek Fire in Brown County.