Hays fire chief warns of ‘Red Flag Days’ following weekend grass fires

The scene of a grass fire in Hays at O'Loughlin Elementary. — The scene of a grass fire in Hays at O’Loughlin Elementary.

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

The Hays Fire Department is repeating a weekend warning by the Ellis County Rural Fire Department to carefully dispose of cigarettes after HFD crews responded to a grass fire in front of O’Loughlin Elementary School, 1401 Hall St., shortly after 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

According to HFD Chief Gary Brown, the fire was quickly extinguished and the cause of the fire is unknown.

However, Brown warned recent high temperatures combined with high wind and low humidity cause what the National Weather Service describes as ‘Red Flag Days’ – days when conditions are ideal for grass fire combustion, and rapid spread.

Ellis County is included in a Red Flag Warning from noon until 7 p.m. today as issued by the Dodge City NWS office.

“It’s just very dry, so even the lowest spark…something as simple as a cigarette flicked out the window could set grass fires on the side of the road,” he said.

Just as the HFD was responding to the grass fire at O’Loughlin, the Ellis County Rural Fire Department was called to a ditch fire on U.S. 183 Bypass just north of 27th Street at 1:30 p.m, and a second late Saturday afternoon at 1300 Feedlot Road which was also contained to a ditch.

Rural firefighters also extinguished a small house fire in Schoenchen Saturday.