BANNER COUNTY, Neb. -- Portions of the Panhandle remain under a haze of smoke as the 4,318 acre fire continues to burn.

Officials who are responding to the wildfire about 15 miles southeast of Gering said they are optimistic after the rain from Thursday night reached the entire fire.

Banner County Fire Chief Tim Grubbs said the overnight relative humidity was 90 percent all night, which helps slow down the spread of fire.

“Consistent rain, even if it is only a small amount, is key for fire suppression, and high humidity can help fire crews,” Grubbs said. “The rain last night and the additional rain forecast for this afternoon has allowed us to begin the demobilization process today. Already, we have demobilized the Nebraska single engine air tankers.”

The Nebraska Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) from Valentine was able to returned to its base mid-day, Friday. The Scottsbluff SEAT will be released at 7 p.m. Friday. The two Nebraska National Guard UH 60s will remain at the fire to help with hot spots.

The Nebraska State Patrol is assisting with locating hot spots for water drops through the use of drones. Two NSP drone team units shared GPS coordinates and pictures in real time to incident command staff who can deploy resources accordingly.

“We are continuing to use Lookouts, Communication, Escape routes and Safety zones (LCES) as our safety system to protect our firefighters,” Grubbs said. “Every firefighter on the scene knows the LCES system, which includes having a lookout to see potential threats, following a communication plan, making sure there are escape routes and locating a safety zone to provide adequate refuge from an advancing fire.”

Grubbs said the containment line around the fire has improved to 70 percent. Containment refers to the “blackline” of burned fuel, natural fire breaks or a bulldozer line around the outside of the fire perimeter that the fire should not be able to get across in the current weather conditions. The fire will continue to burn inside the perimeter even after it is fully contained.

NEMA Watch Center Supervisor Brent Curtis said he encourages all Nebraskans to be cautious of ongoing fire danger, created by warm, dry weather patterns and drought conditions across the state.

Curtis said the entire state is currently in drought status, with 29 percent of the state in extreme or exceptional drought.

“We must remain vigilant,” Curtis said. “Droughts can create persistent, dangerous conditions for wildfires. Dry trees and vegetation ignite and burn easily. In these conditions any ignition source—including lightning, hot machinery, discarded cigarettes, or other sources of heat can easily start a fire. Warmer than normal temperatures and low humidity create favorable conditions for fires to spread quickly."

Curtis also recommended that anyone with breathing issues or concerns about wildfire smoke visit airnow.gov to check out the air quality impacts for their area.