Kansas National Guard wraps up aerial battle of wild fires

Spc. Orin Meyer, a UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief with 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment-courtesy Kan. Army National Guard

TOPEKA -As the wildfires across Kansas near full containment, the Kansas National Guard reported Sunday their aerial fire suppression mission is finished.

Fifty-five Kansas Army National Guard Soldiers were deployed and dropped an estimated 482 buckets totaling approximately 289,200 gallons of water from seven UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, according to a social media report.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, Sen. Jerry Moran and Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, KS adjutant general, meet with Clark County emergency response team. pic.twitter.com/aauneKROMF

— KDEM (@KansasEmergency) March 12, 2017

The Guard partnered with U.S. Army Reserve and civilian aviation assets along with ground crews to fight the fires that burned an 711,950 acres, according to estimates released on Friday.