On Tuesday, a fire marshal in Kansas expressed optimism that the wood pallet fire at a recycling center, which has been burning for several days, can be contained with the assistance of fire crews and helicopters equipped with water tanks.
As of now, there are no reports of any injuries or damage to other structures from the fire that broke out on Sunday night at Evergreen Recycle located in the outskirts of Wichita. The firefighters are putting all their efforts into containing the fire from spreading to a nearby business.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Firefighters are facing a challenging situation due to the presence of strong, straight-line winds and high temperatures in the 90s. Their work has become more complex and demanding as a result of these weather conditions.
On Tuesday, Sedgwick County Fire Marshal Brad Crisp expressed hope that they would be able to bring the situation under control within the day. However, he also shared concern about the wind conditions not just for the day but also for the following day.
According to Crisp, the wildfire was being tackled by Air National Guard helicopters, which were dropping water on the affected area every 10 minutes. The helicopters were dropping as much as 600 gallons (2,271 litres) of water in each run. The Sedgwick County officials had declared a local disaster the day before, prompting the Air National Guard’s intervention.