OTTAWA — All the county’s fire departments were called for several wildfires this weekend. Franklin County Fire Marshal Alan Radcliffe said one person, who wasn’t a firefighter, was injured by a fire Saturday and was taken to the Kansas University Medical Center’s burn unit. The man wasn’t immediately identified. Although Saturday was perfect burning weather, because of the tall grass and heavy fire load this spring, “a lot of people are having trouble controlling their fires,” Radcliffe said. There were at least 30 wildfires reported on Saturday, he said. At one point, all of the county’s fire departments were out fighting fires, and in some cases two or three simultaneously, he said. The sheriff’s office said one fire in the 3500 block of Cloud Road northeast of Richmond Saturday afternoon destroyed four vehicles and burned approximately 18 acres of grass. The county’s radio system and the 911 emergency dispatch center were overwhelmed by the number of calls and amount of radio traffic and in some cases, couldn’t keep track of where all of the firetrucks were, Radcliffe said.
Monday, March 7, 1 p.m.
