KC area fire departments rally to combat massive western Kansas wildfires

ASHLAND, Kan. (KCTV) – KC Metro Fire Departments are mobilizing resources to combat massive wildfires that swept across western Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle.

Kansas City Kansas Fire sent two chief officers to assist with response and support efforts Wednesday morning, Feb. 18.

The KCKFD chief officers are en route to assist with the State Incident Support Platform response and will work alongside the Ashland Kansas Fire Department and other agencies operating in the impacted region.

“We stand with the Ashland, Kansas Fire Department and all agencies operating in their community, as well as the departments working the numerous fires across western Kansas,” KCKFD said. “Additional resources may be deployed as needed.”

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In a coordinated response, a Wildland Task Force departed Johnson County Tuesday, heading to central Kansas as part of a State of Kansas pre-positioning assignment. The deployment comes ahead of a favorable fire forecast, positioning firefighting resources strategically across the state.

The Task Force comprises firefighters from Edwardsville, Consolidated Fire District No. 1, Northwest Consolidated Fire District and Olathe, combining expertise and equipment from multiple Johnson County jurisdictions.

The deployment comes after strong winds swept wildfires from the Oklahoma panhandle into southwest Kansas on Tuesday, forcing evacuations in multiple communities. Among the hardest hit areas was Clark County, where residents of Englewood and Ashland were evacuated to communities to the east.

“The fire service stands together,” KCKFD stated, underscoring the collaborative response across state lines and agency boundaries.

By Wednesday morning, evacuation orders for Englewood and Ashland had been lifted, allowing residents to return home. However, multiple fires continued burning across Kansas’ western half and into Oklahoma.

The response also highlighted the serious injuries firefighters face in such operations. Clark County Emergency Management confirmed that at least two firefighters were transported from Clark County to Wichita for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation, with additional firefighters injured on both sides of the Kansas-Oklahoma border.

The KCKFD deployment of both chief officers and the Wildland Task Force represents part of a broader mutual aid response mobilized as firefighting agencies coordinate efforts across the region. Officials indicated the situation remained fluid, with additional resources to be deployed as needed.

Updates on the firefighting efforts continue as agencies work to contain the blazes across Kansas and Oklahoma.

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