For a second day, firefighters from Sedgwick County and several cities and towns were battling grass fires across the area.
Two fires broke out around 4 p.m. Tuesday near Mt. Hope, in the area of K-96 and 215th Street West. Strong south winds were pushing the flames to the north but no structures were threatened. Drivers were asked to avoid K-96 in that area at one point because of the smoke and the fire activity. The fire was brought under control in about an hour, and it was believed to have been caused by a mechanical issue with a vehicle or a trailer.
Interstate 70 was closed for a time in Ellsworth County because of a wildfire that broke out near Wilson.
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Fire Marshal and the Kansas Forest Service are urging Kansans to use caution this week due to the risk of wildland fires.
The unseasonably warm temperatures, very dry south winds, low relative humidity and extremely dry vegetation have combined to make the fire danger across the state very high for the rest of the week.
Governor Laura Kelly issued a verbal state of disaster declaration on Thursday, Oct. 24 due to wildland fires in the counties of Chase, Marion, Montgomery, and Sedgwick. Doniphan County has been added to this declaration.
