By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

WAKEENEY–Trego County firefighters are helping out in two areas of Kansas still fighting wildfires today.

According to information from Trego Co. Emergency Manager Kathleen Fabrizius, the “Trego Co. Rural Fire department sent two trucks and WaKeeney city fire department sent one truck with crews to Reno County to help with fires.

“The Trego Co. trucks received a call last night to assist in Clark County and headed there last night. Please keep these crews in your prayers.”

Reno County officials said as of Wednesday night, the Highlands fire in Reno county was 85 percent contained. Firefighters from across the state were on the scene.

The massive fire in Comanche and Clark counties has burned at least 1,000 square miles of land according to Kansas Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman Katie Horner. The 625 square miles charred in Clark County is about 85 percent of that county’s land.

The blaze has set a new record. Horner says the previous record came last year, with the Anderson Creek fire consuming 488 square miles of land in Barber and Comanche counties.

Since Saturday, large grassfires have been reported in 23 Kansas counties, consuming more than 1,000 square miles.