4:00 PM UPDATE
The Carlson Road Fire has burned an estimated 2,000 acres in Riley County and is now 90% contained. The fire is located near Carlson Road and Rose Hill Road, north of Fancy Creek and Randolph. No injuries have been reported, no livestock has been lost, and no structures have been damaged in Riley County. Crews remain on scene and will continue to monitor the fire over the next several days.
A total of 11 Riley County Fire District #1 (RCFD#1) apparatus, 30 local volunteer firefighters, plus personnel from Manhattan Fire Department, Kansas Forest Service Eng. 64, Johnson County Wildland Task Force, and the US Army Corps of Engineers have been involved in the fire response. I think the numbers are bigger after today? Especially the number of RCFD#1 personel.
Local volunteers and landowners in the area have also assisted, using their own heavy equipment to help create fire breaks. Galen and Lori Fink of Fink Beef Genetics provided lunch for volunteers and personnel this afternoon. No additional food donations are needed at this time.
The Carlson Road Fire crossed the Big Blue River last night and remains active in Pottawatomie County as well. Local crews are responding.
The National Weather Service in Topeka extended the Red Flag Warning through at least 8:00 PM Friday, April 8. Critical fire conditions are expected, with strong winds gusting to 35 MPH and low relative humidity. No burning is allowed in Riley County at this time and any property owners who have burned fields in the past few days should continue to check regularly for potential hot spots.
Yesterday evening, April 6, Chairperson of the Riley County Board of Commissioners Greg McKinley signed a declaration of local disaster emergency. Emergency Manager Russel Stukey requested emergency assistance from the state to help control the North Fire.
A state of local disaster emergency may be declared in the event that a disaster has occurred or that the threat of a disaster is imminent. A declaration may be made by the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, or in the event of the absence of the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, a majority of the remaining members may declare a state of local disaster emergency. If it appears that local resources are not adequate to deal with the emergency, state assistance may be requested through the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. Depending upon the damage, the governor may issue a declaration of a State of Disaster Emergency.