A grass fire spread by strong winds spread to a nursing home and several homes Friday afternoon in Yates Center, in eastern Kansas. The residents were evacuated to other facilities and no injuries were reported.
Yates Center police said in a social media post that the fire started in the South Owl Lake area and spread to the surrounding area in the southwest part of the city. The Yates Center Health and Rehab building was destroyed. Emergency crews from Woodson County and surrounding counties and area communities were involved in the response.
Mission Health, which operates the facility, said all 37 residents and patients are safe. They were moved to Yates Center High School and later taken to other Mission Health facilities in the area.
Yates Center Emergency Management said because of heavy smoke and hazardous conditions, US Highway 75 was closed for several hours. Power to the city of Yates Center was temporarily cut to reduce risks during firefighting efforts. A first responder rehabilitation center was established at the Community Building, staffed by dedicated volunteers and emergency medical personnel.
