Major Kansas wildfire destroys three homes
Major Kansas wildfire destroys three homes
13 January 2014
published by www.accuweather.com
USA — At least three homes have been destroyed in a major grass fire near the Kansas-Missouri border.
Firefighters from Kansas and Missouri battled the blaze, which had quickly scorched a five- to seven-mile radius on the north side of Galena, Kansas, early Sunday afternoon, Cherokee County officials said.
There were power outages reported in the area at the time of the fire and a downed line may have sparked the blaze, officials said.
Gusty winds and low relative humidity set the stage for possible wildfires in the region, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
The nearby Joplin, Mo., airport recorded a 53 mph wind gust at 12:20 p.m. CST, about 20 minutes after the fire was reported, she said.
The relative humidity has been below 30 percent throughout the early afternoon.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the area until 6 p.m. CST, according to the National Weather Service in Springfield, Mo.
