ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Drivers throughout Liberal Thursday had some minor visibility issues to deal with due to a grass fire.
Emergency personnel were called to the scene at Pancake Blvd. and Western Ave. at approximately 11:45 a.m. Thursday, according to a release from Seward County Fire Chief Andrew Barkley.
“Units arrived on scene to find a line of vegetation fires from 2100 block of Pancake Blvd West to Highway 54/Old Highway 54 bridge in a stretch of approximately 2.88 miles,” Barkley noted. “The vegetation fires were burning between the railroad tracks and paved roadways, at one location the fire had jumped the road East of County Road G on old highway 54. Firefighters immediately were able to stop and contain the jumped fire. Once firefighters completed the securement of the fire that jumped the road, Firefighters aided by command staff worked to extinguish fires along the roadway. Kansas Highway Patrol, Seward County Sheriff’s Office, and Liberal Police Department assisted firefighters with closing roads to traffic do to zero visibility caused by smoke conditions. Once firefighters got the upper hand the fires, smoke conditions improved allowing roadways to be opened up to normal traffic patterns. We would like to take this time to remind motorist not to drive through zero visibility conditions on our roadways. With natural overgrown vegetation and collection of debris in this area, firefighters remained on scene until shortly before 7:00pm working hotspots and smoldering lumber in these areas.”
The cause of the fire appears to be accidental in nature caused by backfire from a train locomotive leaving Liberal Rail Yard in Western direction of travel, Barkley’s release noted. There was no damage assessed or valued as a result of these fires.
During emergency incidents, we would like to remind drivers to avoid driving in low visibilities, parking in the roadway as this can hinder emergency services responding, and to be vigilant of there surroundings at all times. No injuries were reported.
