JOHNSTOWN, Neb. — A wildfire burning in a rugged, wooded area of Nebraska grew to more than 6,600 acres but by Thursday hundreds of firefighters managed to contain about 40% of the blaze.

The Plum Creek Fire started Monday afternoon from a controlled burn that got out of hand, said Jessica Pozehl, deputy emergency manager for Brown and Rock counties.

The fire, which has burned 6,631 acres, is mainly in steep, rugged canyon ground and also some grassy areas, she said. Johnstown, population 60 people, is the closest town to the fire in the Sandhills in the north-central part of the state. Some structures might be endangered, Pozehl said.

More than 50 fire departments, joined by National Guard members, were fighting the blaze at its height, as many as 200 to 250 people, she said. In recent days, responders used two planes to drop fire retardant, and two National Guard Black Hawk helicopters were dropping water on Wednesday and Thursday, Pozehl said. The fire has killed 45 cattle and destroyed a cabin, it was reported.

— The Associated Press