Even with some precipitation in the forecast, the fire danger will remain very high for much of the KVOE listening area Friday.
Light snowfall is expected across the area, but the combination of dry grasses and wind gusts possibly between 45-60 mph will push the fire danger to the very high and extreme categories, especially just south and west of Emporia. Emporia Fire Acting Battalion Chief Ben Lienneman says it won’t take much to get a fire started, either out in the country or in the city limits.
One grass fire happened in downtown Emporia during lunch. Firefighters went to the 400 block of Market shortly before 12:30 pm and kept the fire away from a house and nearby fence. A cause is under investigation.
Olpe firefighters dealt with a 20-acre fire near Roads 70 and K that got into the north side of Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, about a mile west of Olpe, around 5:40 am. A small amount of grass burned but there was apparently no serious damage to any headstones. No injuries were reported.
Olpe and Emporia firefighters battled with a brush pile fire that got into some nearby grass on the northeast side of Olpe Jones Lake. This was an apparent rekindle from a controlled burn over the past week. The brush pile could smolder for several days. No injuries have been reported. There is no word yet on property damage with several houses nearby.
Small grass fires were also reported southwest of Eureka and outside Waverly.
Peak wind gusts:
*Emporia Municipal Airport: 53 mph
*Eureka: 46 mph
*LeRoy: 41 mph
*New Strawn: 41 mph
*Olivet: 41 mph
*Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve: 45 mph
Red flag warnings are not part of the picture Friday morning, but Chase County is in a burn ban through the day and Osage County is in a separate ban until further notice. Wind advisories continue for Lyon, Coffey, Greenwood, Osage and Wabaunsee counties until 6 pm. High wind warnings are up for Chase and Morris counties until 6 pm. A State of Disaster Emergency continues for Greenwood County because of the risk of wildland fires. This frees up state resources, including personnel, to help with response and recovery if needed.
For Lyon County and points to the north and east, a concern will be visibility as light snowfall is blown about by high winds. Up to an inch of snow is possible, which could lead to near-blizzard conditions and visibility under a mile at times between the morning and evening commute.
Stay with KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media for updates.
