The passage of a cold front in Kansas on Wednesday with winds gusting at more than 40 mph and relative humidity in the teens created conditions that firefighters and ranchers dread — several large fires broke out. There are reports that a 7,000-acre blaze southeast of Florence led to evacuations and the destruction of homes.
Other large fires occurred northeast of Washington, southeast of Marysville, north of Morrill, east of Clay Center, and northwest of Concordia.
A vintage S-2 air tanker powered by a radial engine was activated to assist firefighters on the ground. Tanker 95 was formerly operated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection but is now privately owned and under contract to the Kansas Forest Service. It was used Monday, and Wednesday it dropped water on at least two fires, one in Cloud County and another near Jamestown.
In anticipation of the fire threat caused by the extreme winds and low humidity additional engines were brought in from South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado. This mobilization was facilitated by provisions in the Great Plains Interstate Fire Compact. Blackhawk helicopters operated by the Kansas National Guard have also been assisting firefighters by dropping water.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Matt.
Thank you to all the men and women involved in keeping us safe . God bless you now and always . And again thank you .