Our high fire danger from the past few days is waning, but not before two major grass fires developed south of Emporia since Thursday afternoon.
Fire developed Sunday afternoon in northwest Greenwood County near 350th and M Road, charring between 1,700 and 2,00 acres before firefighters from Greenwood County and Chase County and Blackhawk helicopters from the Kansas Adjutant General’s Office finished off the fire. Greenwood County also got some advanced warning, thanks to a satellite-indicated hot spot notification that came in several minutes before the first 911 call.
The blaze Sunday followed one Thursday afternoon that started near Hamilton and left a 4,400-acre burn scar in central Greenwood County. Both fires are currently under investigation.
Greenwood County Emergency Management Director Levi Vinson is relieved the extreme fire danger is coming down, replaced to a degree by numerous rain chances this week, but he’s also worried the annual grass fire season is getting compressed by the weather.
The fire Sunday was the biggest in a weekend which had spotty fire activity across the area. There was actually a bit more activity for firefighters Saturday, but no injuries were reported. Wind gusts were higher Sunday than Saturday, and Emporia tied with Salina for the state’s peak wind gust at 56 mph Sunday.
3:30 pm Sunday: Large grass fire develops near Chase-Greenwood county line
As has been the case the past several days, fire activity across the KVOE listening area has been limited so far. Unfortunately, as was the case Thursday, a large grass fire has developed south of Emporia.
Firefighters from Chase and Greenwood counties have been battling what’s being called a large grass fire near the county line. A cause has not been announced. No injuries have been reported to this point.
This follows the sizeable grass fire that developed south of Hamilton and pushed into central Greenwood County before several fire departments from Greenwood and other counties were able to get it under control.
Greenwood County is the only area county currently in a red flag warning for critical fire danger, but wind advisories continue areawide until 7 pm and the Emporia Municipal Airport has already recorded a wind gust above 50 mph Sunday afternoon. The fire danger will be very high areawide until chances of rain increase by early Monday morning.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
Noon Sunday: Greenwood County in red flag warning Sunday; all fire weather watches canceled
The fire danger continues at a very high level across Lyon and surrounding counties, but the alerts affecting the area have changed.
Gone are the fire weather watches announced late Saturday or early Sunday. A red flag warning signaling critical fire danger has now been activated for Greenwood County from 12-7 pm, and the National Weather Service’s Wichita office has gone so far as to say Greenwood is among several counties in southeast Kansas facing “catastrophic” fire danger conditions Sunday afternoon. Wind advisories continue for the area through 7 pm.
Several burn bans have been announced. Emporia will not allow burning until wind speeds go below 15 mph, and winds have been above 20 mph since late Saturday morning. Greenwood County is in a ban through the red flag warning, while Osage County is in a ban until 8 am Monday and Chase County is in a ban until noon Monday.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
8 am Sunday: Outdoor burns to be banned in Emporia city limits, Chase County, Osage County; fire weather watches now areawide
County-specific burn bans are up nearby and there is no outdoor burning allowed in Emporia all day Sunday as our current stretch of notable fire danger continues.
Lyon, Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties are in a fire weather watch and a wind advisory from 10 am to 7 pm, while Chase and Greenwood counties are in a separate fire weather watch and wind advisory from 12-7 pm. Osage County is in a burn ban until 8 am Sunday and Chase County is in a separate ban until noon Monday. Outdoor burns will be strongly discouraged elsewhere across the area, and outdoor burns in Emporia are already banned with winds steadily above 20 mph since Saturday morning. The cutoff is 15 mph.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Wolters says residents need to be on their guard Sunday. Even though the relative humidity levels will be higher than they were Saturday and again Thursday, both red flag warning days, southerly winds will be stronger — thus keeping the fire danger at very high to extreme levels.
We’ll keep you updated on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
7:30 pm Saturday: Fire weather watch returning for Chase, Greenwood counties Sunday
Another day of notable fire danger awaits for Lyon and surrounding counties Sunday.
Chase and Greenwood counties are in both a fire weather watch and a wind advisory from 11 am to 6 pm Sunday. Humidity levels will be between 30 percent and 40 percent, above the 20 percent or below noticed Thursday and the 25 percent or below for much of Saturday, but south winds will be steady between 20-30 mph and will gust to 40 mph or higher.
Should the fire weather watch transition to a red flag warning for critical fire danger, outdoor burning will be banned in Chase and Greenwood counties. Osage County, meanwhile, is in a burn ban until 8 am Sunday. Outdoor burns will be strongly discouraged elsewhere across the area, and Emporia will likely have a burn ban in the city limits with winds expected above 15 mph for most of the day.
Saturday had isolated fire activity. A small fire developed on the Kansas Turnpike near mile marker 115, 12 miles southwest of Emporia. Emporia Fire says about five acres burned — and the firefighting effort was hampered somewhat as the fire got into several cow patties. Almost at the same time, fire developed in a utility pole in the 2200 block of West 15th, sending embers to the ground and causing a small fire. The incident was at one point reported as an illegal burn but EFD says no illegal activity was noted. Greenwood County, meanwhile, had small grass fires develop near Eureka and Severy.
We’ll keep you updated on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
