Fire south of Valentine, Kilgore burns thousands of acres, damages buildings

VALENTINE, Neb. - Much-needed precipitation Friday morning helped firefighters battling a wildfire south of Valentine. Crews were first called to the canyon fire around nine miles south of Kilgore Thursday afternoon. Strong winds pushed the fire through the canyon, jumping a river and reaching Highway 97 south of Valentine. A plane is being brought in to help firefighters from nearly 20 departments.
Authorities estimate the fire has burned between 4,000 to 5,000 acres.
Area homeowners say one house in the Amish community was destroyed, and another nearby home was damaged.
Highway 97 was closed Thursday night and early Friday morning but has since reopened.

The fire approached The Prairie Club, a world-renowned golf destination, but the club reports that no buildings were damaged.

“The damage in the canyon is still under evaluation. In the meantime, our local volunteer firefighters are heroes and worked tirelessly throughout the night to contain the wildfires.  We are endlessly thankful and grateful for their hard work,” The Prairie Club wrote in a social media post.