Fueled by wind gusts of more than 40 miles per hour, the fire spread to Harvey County.
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The Oklahoma Forestry Services reports 397,420 acres of grassland and farmland have burned so far.
Fire crews are rotating in and out of the scene and are being closely monitored for health and safety.
The Kansas Department of the Adjutant General said in a statement Wednesday night that the fire is threatening residents of the Barber County town of Medicine Lodge.
On Thursday, Sherry and Craig Prothe were packing clothing and keepsakes into two cars at their home south of Medicine Lodge, where they could see smoke from the fire. Fire units and responding vehicles continue getting stuck in the marshes and sand. Winds have changed direction from the southwest back to the northwest.
Mark Goeller, fire management chief of Oklahoma Forestry Services, said an airplane was also being used to dump water on the flames.
An emergency management official said earlier Thursday that the fire had burned more than 300 square miles in southern Kansas.
Officials think the fire began just north of Camp Houston, a rural community 25 miles west of Alva. Gov. Sam Brownback has declared a state of disaster emergency in some areas, authorizing state resources to assist.
The fire started in an Oklahoma border county Tuesday and moved into Kansas.
The latest information on the wildfires burning in Kansas based on information compiled by KSN reporters and information from fire officials and other official sources.
The Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF), the charitable arm of the Kansas Livestock Association, is accepting cash donations to help those affected by the fire.
So far, the fire has burned more than 400,000 acres in the two states.
“We’ve been in contact with several of our members down in that area”. But they said they hadn’t decided whether they’ll leave the home yet.
The Farmers Cooperative in Coldwater and Farmers Cooperative Equity Company in Medicine Lodge have been identified as locations to receive hay donations.
“There are some efforts going on to at least get those cattle that are penned fed”, Hagins says. Donors can make checks payable to the Kansas Livestock Foundation and put “Disaster Relief” in the memo line.
In Chase Co., a wildfire came in close proximity to Drovers associate editor Laura Mushrush’s family ranch. “This fire wasn’t releated to the earlier ones though”.
The risk of fire remains high in much of the Southern Plains’ region.
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According to Russell and Ellsworth County Emergency Manager Keith Haberer, fire trucks from Gorham, Waldo, Dorrance and Lucas with approximately 15 firefighters from those departments and Russell Grant have been sent south.
