Kearny County fire temporarily closes Highway 50 Tuesday
A fire west of Lakin and south of US Highway 50 Tuesday afternoon temporarily closed the highway down.
According to the Kansas Forest Service and Kearny County Emergency Services on social media, aviation and ground resources from Kansas Forest Service, as well as theWichita County Fire, Grant County Fire, Hamilton County Fire, Garden City Fire Department, Kansas Forest Service, Kansas Division of Emergency Management, as well as many others, assisted in fighting the wildfire.
The fire started approximately six miles west of Lakin and was rapidly moving north and east toward US Highway 50. Wind gusts over 30 mph made fighting the fire very difficult, and US Highway 50 was temporarily closed in due to the smoke.
Fire crews were able to stop the spread of the fire around 9 pm, but firefighters worked overnight to actively monitor hot spots. Significant heat still remains within the fire area, posing concerns due to the weather forecast for Wednesday.
Air tankers dropped around 59 loads and approximately 34,200 gallons of water fighting the fire.
No injuries were reported.
