Nebraska Wildfires Kill Ex-Fire Chief, Hurt 15 Firefighters

The smoke from a wildfire near Cambridge, Neb. Several small towns, including Cambridge, Bartley, Indianola and Wilsonville, in Nebraska's southwest and Macy in its northeast on April 23, 2022. Nebraska State Patrol via AP

CAMBRIDGE, Neb.—Wind-driven wildfires sweeping through parts of Nebraska killed a retired fire chief and injured at least 15 firefighters, authorities said Sunday.

The man who died Friday night was a retired Cambridge fire chief who was working with firefighters as a spotter in Red Willow County in the southwestern corner of the state. That fire had burned more than 78 square miles (202 square kilometers) in Red Willow, Furnas, and Frontier counties by Sunday afternoon.