Tankers respond to wildfire in Pawnee County, hundreds lose power

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Late Tuesday Update: The National Weather Service in Dodge City reported the fire in Pawnee County grew to seven to eight miles long in a little more than one hour. Firefighters from several counties in southwest Kansas arrived on the scene to assist after previously battling a fire in Hodgeman County. The Kansas Forest Service also responded to the scene, providing support with its air tanker.

As of about 8:30 p.m., the Larned Police Department reported the fire still being south of town with no evacuation orders in place. However, many Midwest Energy customers in Larned were without power after the fire burned transmission lines.

6:55 p.m. Update: Midwest Energy, Inc. which services Pawnee County says wind-whipped wildfires took down a transmission line near Garfield. More than 1,500 customers were without power earlier this afternoon. As of 5:40 pm, crews were able to restore power to hundreds but 894 remain without power.

“Sadly, many of these are on circuits that were down for much of last week, following a freak late-March blizzard,” said the energy company.

Crews are now out dodging fires to do damage assessments and switch power around to get it back on.

6:35 p.m Update: The Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office says a wildfire in the county is now under control. Crews from Ashland, Fowler, Ford County and Minneola were all called in to assist with the fire.

6:05 p.m. Update - The Kansas Forest Service says Tanker 95 and Sedgwick County Task Force have both been requested to assist with a wildfire near Larned in Pawnee County, Kansas.

Smoke plumes from the fire can be seen from a distance. A viewer submitted a photo showing the smoke billowing over the Larned Elementary School north of LarnedLarned Elementary School north of Larned.

The Kansas Forest Service says a cold front moving across the state will affect all active fires as the wind shifts with the front. Please be aware of the wind shift and plan for the fire to begin moving to the east/southeast after the frontal passage.

5:28 p.m. Update - Firefighters in western Kansas continue to deal with grass fires especially due to conditions ripe for grass fires. Crews are battling a large grass fire from Garfield to just southwest of Larned in Pawnee County. And in Stafford County, a large plume of smoke could be seen coming from a large fire there. So far with Tuesday’s fires, no structures were damaged and no one was hurt.

3:25 p.m. Update: Sedgwick County firefighters say a grass fire at 45th & Greenwich started in the ditch. Interim Deputy Chief of Operations Carl Cox said it was likely from a car, possibly someone throwing out a cigarette or a mechanical issue. Investigators are on the scene to determine the cause.

Firefighters were called to the area around noon. Cox said winds coming from the south spread the fire north. Plowed fields to the west kept the fire from spreading in that direction and crews were able to make a stop from the north.

Cox said heavy black smoke could be seen coming from the fire after it had gotten into a heavy grove of cedar trees.

“Whenever one of those cedar trees lights off, it’s literally like a roman candle. It blows up and gets heavy black smoke for a few minutes and then it moves on,” said Cox.

Additional crews from Sedgwick County and the Wichita Fire Department were called out to the scene. A special wildland truck was also on hand to help fight the fire.

Cox said the soft, muddy and slick ground was an issue, resulting in some vehicles getting stuck.

Crews will remain on the scene of the fire throughout the afternoon and evening to mop up hotspots. No one was hurt.

12:47 p.m. Update: Crews are now on the scene of a grass fire near 45th and Greenwich, northeast of Wichita, in Sedgwick County. As of right now, no evacuations are underway.

In southwest Kansas, the Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office says a fire located near Hanston has slowed, but the Hodgeman County Health Department is setting up a shelter for anyone who is having to evacuate due to the fires. The shelter is located at the Presbyterian Church. The health department’s phones are being transferred along with the staff so they can be easily reached.

Firefighters are on the scene of multiple wildfires in southwest Kansas. So far, the National Weather Service in Dodge City has reported fires in Comanche, Hodgeman, Kearny and Seward counties.

The NWS said the smoke plume from the Hodgeman County fire is showing up on its radar. The fire is also showing up on Eyewitness News Super Doppler Radar.

The Hodgeman County Sheriff’s Office advised residents south of Hanston to begin making evacuation plans. KWCH has a reporter on the way and we will provide updates as they become available.

Western Kansas News reports that a hay bale fire south of Deerfield has gotten out of control. The Kearny County Fire Department, according to WKN, is reporting that multiple structures are in the line of the fire moving to the east. Finney County firefighters have been called in to assist.

The NWS Dodge City is reporting a fire in Seward County (like 9 miles south of Sublette) and says what was thought to be a fire in Comanche County is a residual burn from Monday.

Earlier in the day, Kansas Forest Service and K-State Meteorologist, Chip Redmond said a strong low pressure would move across this state bringing down the humidity in southwest Kansas to 10-15%, which is very low for the state. He said winds of 45-50 mph could be expected. Gusts of up to 60 mph are expected from Stafford to Meade counties.

“We had a lot of fire on the landscape over the last few days, lots of people getting prescribed fires done, but brush piles hold heat. Any fire that’s burned in timber is definitely going to hold heat. And we’re also seeing that that grass is burning at the top and not the bottom meaning there’s potential for a reburn or holding heat,” said Redmond. “So need to make sure that all of those fires are out. We need to check ‘em, check ‘em again because any fire that starts from those today will become damaging and potentially life-threatening and nearly impossible to stop today.”

Redmond said if a fire breaks out “it will burn extremely aggressively and it will be nearly impossible to stop.”

He urged people who burned on Monday to make sure their fires are out because he said the fires have the potential to “escape, becoming damaging and potentially life-threatening today.”

“Please make sure these old burns are out!” He said.

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