Concerns continue about fire danger Thursday.
The National Weather Service has announced a fire weather watch for Lyon, Chase, Greenwood, Morris and Osage counties from 12-8 pm. The watch reflects high temperatures in the low 90s, winds shifting from southwest to north as high as 40 mph, relative humidity levels under 25 percent nd dry grasses.
Fire danger could be elevated through the upcoming weekend.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates.
11:15 am Wednesday:
Several hundred acres of grassland were burned and a semi was destroyed as part of a fire incident in southern Chase County early Wednesday.
Fire reports started going to authorities shortly before 5 am after a southbound semi caught fire at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 107, between the Matfield Green service exit and Flint Hills cattle pens exit — and also 20 miles southwest of the Emporia gate. That fire caught nearby grass ablaze.
The grass fire burned about 700 acres along the Kansas Turnpike. Initial reports had the fire going south, but the fire ran northeast — about a mile off the highway — and traveled to near the Flint Hills cattle pens exit, a distance of around 5 miles, before it was put out.
No injuries were reported and no structures were damaged. Chase County, Lyon County District 4 and Olpe fire crews responded. Chase County Fire Chief Steve Fillmore tells KVOE News issues developed with a tire on the semi’s third axle, destroying the load of chicken and damaging the power unit in addition to the grass damage.
Following a long list of grass fires in Lyon and surrounding counties, as well as an out-of-control brush fire near Roads 290 and S and a truck-and-timber fire in the 600 block of Z on Tuesday, the fire danger is rising through Thursday and looks like it will remain elevated through the upcoming weekend. In addition, air quality appears to be an issue for allergy sufferers through at least early Thursday. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued an air quality health advisory, expecting conditions to range from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups in most cases and unhealthy for all groups in isolated cases. Air quality has been unhealthy for sensitive groups all Wednesday morning.
6-11 am Wednesday: Record heat through Thursday, elevated fire danger through Saturday; semi fire catches grass on fire in Chase County
Area residents will deal with record high temperatures and increasing fire danger for the next two days — following numerous controlled burns and other fire activity Tuesday.
Grass fire activity is already underway in Chase County after a semi reportedly caught fire on the Kansas Turnpike near mile marker 107 southbound, 20 miles southwest of Emporia. Initial reports began developing around 4:50 am and Lyon County District 4, Emporia’s rural fire unit, was requested as mutual aid shortly before 5:10 am. Olpe Fire has also been called to assist Chase County with the fire. Initial indications are the semi was fully engulfed in flames and had started what Chase County Emergency Dispatch says is a “large grass fire.” The semi fire is out. The Kansas Turnpike Authority closed down southbound traffic at the Emporia exit, mile marker 127, around 6:15 am — triggering a detour along US Highway 50 from Emporia to Strong City and then south along Kansas Highway 177 to the KTA Cassoday exit.
Other details are developing.
On Tuesday, several Lyon County fire departments joined forces on a grass fire that developed near Roads 290 and S, about five miles south-southwest of Admire, and then rekindled before sunset. Reading Benefit Fire Deputy Chief Mark Shoemaker says the initial fire traveled west and eventually stopped next to the Kansas Turnpike. Shoemaker says there was heavy smoke briefly crossing the highway before the fire was put out. Early indications are a brush pile fire went out of control for the first fire. Allen-Admire and Miller departments were also at the scene.
A tree fire in eastern Lyon County actually started when a pickup caught fire. Hartford-Neosho Rapids Fire Chief Greg Zumbrunn says a pickup was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived — and so was an acre of cedar trees and other timber. The fire was apparently caused by a mechanical issue in the truck. Coffey County Fire District 1 and deputies from Lyon and Coffey counties also helped.
The National Weather Service says fire danger will be elevated through at least Saturday. High temperatures will be around 90 degrees Wednesday and into the 90s Thursday, well above prior records set 70 years ago. Even with showers and storms now likely as part of cold front activity Thursday night, wind gusts will still be anywhere from 25-40 mph Wednesday through Saturday. Relative humidity levels will dip to 20 percent or less during the afternoon hours and grasses have been drying since our last significant rainfall March 11.
Air quality may become more breathable — literally — with the higher wind speeds in the forecast. Overnight air quality went to borderline unhealthy for all groups after officially listing as moderate for most of Tuesday.
KVOE and KVOE.com will have updates. Click here for KVOE’s YouTube channel, including a YouTube Short on the current fire activity and danger.
3 pm Tuesday: Record highs, increasing fire danger ahead Wednesday and Thursday
Get ready for another short-term burst of record heat across the KVOE listening area this week.
High temperatures Wednesday will approach 90 degrees Wednesday and get into the low 90s Thursday. Both high temperatures would smash current unofficial records of 82 degrees, both set in 1956.
The projected record highs follow records reset Friday and Saturday. Friday’s high of 95 and Saturday’s high of 96 both broke records dating back to 2017.
With mild temperatures and relatively light winds, a lot of controlled burns were lit in Lyon and surrounding counties. Several Lyon County fire departments joined forces to put out a grass fire that developed near Roads 290 and S, about five miles south-southwest of Admire, and then rekindled before sunset. Reading Benefit Fire Deputy Chief Mark Shoemaker says the initial fire traveled west and eventually stopped next to the Kansas Turnpike. Shoemaker says there was heavy smoke briefly crossing the highway before the fire was put out. Early indications are a brush pile fire went out of control.
Allergy sufferers had a rough afternoon Tuesday, although AirNow, the federal government’s air quality tracker, had Lyon County in moderate air quality as of mid-afternoon. With the higher temperatures Wednesday and Thursday will come higher fire danger, peaking Thursday with southerly wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Showers and thunderstorms are increasingly likely Thursday night and showers are possible Friday morning, leading to sharply cooler and breezy conditions through Friday.
