Smoke and ash from a rapidly growing wildfire in the Oklahoma Panhandle drifted into south-central Kansas on Tuesday, with haze and falling ash reported in Wichita, Wellington and Winfield — and lighter impacts in Arkansas City.
According to a report from KWCH 12 in Wichita, the fire in Beaver County, Oklahoma, was reported shortly before noon and has burned an estimated 15,000 acres. The blaze moved north into Kansas, prompting evacuations in Englewood and Ashland.
High winds fueled the fire’s rapid spread, forcing the closure of U.S. Highway 64 east of Forgan in Beaver County and into nearby Texas County, Oklahoma. Oklahoma Forestry Services said gusts exceeding 65 mph prevented the use of aerial firefighting resources…