Fire danger remains high across the region following three straight days of strong winds and warmer temperatures.
Forecasters say Wednesday is expected to be the windiest day of the week with wind gusts expected up to 50 mph at times. Red Flag Warnings are posted in the area along with a wind advisory and extreme fire danger according to the rangeland fire danger index.
Riley County Fire Chief Michael Regal says Monday Riley County Fire was especially busy fighting fires both north and south of Manhattan.
“We assisted Geary County in a grass fire they had that was set off by a UTV and then we had some busy calls in between and later in the north that caught anywhere from 100 to 400 acres on fire, which we were able to bring under control in about an hour,” he said.
Regal says a Black Hawk helicopter was deployed to assist firefighters in Geary County, after the fire scorched nearly 1,500 acres. The helicopter also was utilized in a large grass fire in Shawnee County Monday.
Regal says burning when a burn ban is in place can result in penalties. He also reminds those who may have burned a few days ago to check their brush piles to avoid rekindling.
“If you burned several days ago, please go out and recheck your pile because the wind is fuel and it’s giving that fire what it needs (oxygen) to light up,” he said.
The 187-acre Mission Creek Camp in Shawnee County sustained some fire damage as well Sunday. An estimated 100 acres at the top of the hill was destroyed including 12 large round hay bales and education centers that had been established by the Girl Scouts when the camp was Camp Daisy Hindman. An official damage estimate is unknown.
No structural damage was reported, although the fire came close to the caretaker’s home, workshop, and Cody Camping area.
A cold front is expected to pass through the region Wednesday night bringing the first potential chance for severe thunderstorms this season to parts of eastern and southeastern Kansas late Wednesday into Thursday.
The National Weather Service says large hail would be the main threat with the strongest storms; damaging winds and heavy rain are also possible. A cool down and increased rain chances over the next week is also expected.
