Numerous homes had to be evacuated as wildfire burned near Buchanan-Platte county line
Homes threatened by a large wildfire along Missouri 45 highway in the area of the Buchanan-Platte county line were evacuated Thursday afternoon, according to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office.
The blaze, which was pushed by breezy conditions, was eventually contained, and law enforcement planned to monitor the burned areas through the night.
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett estimated Thursday evening that the fire burned an area that stretched for more than three miles in the vicinity of Sugar Lake. More than ten agencies responded to contain the grass fire and dealt with wind gusts of 60 mph, he said. Residents of homes in the area of the fire were contacted and some evacuated.
A firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation, and a home took minor fire damage, Puett said.
“It was a pretty good day when it comes down to it,” he said. “It could have been a lot different situation. We’re happy that everybody was safe and not harmed.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Captain Mike Hess, a spokesman with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, said a “very large” wildfire, initially reported around 1:30 p.m., had spread from the southern border of Buchanan County into Platte County along the highway, prompting a large-scale fire and law enforcement response in the area.
Hess said homes were evacuated in the area and that the fire was spreading south toward Bean Lake, a short distance north of Evergy’s Iatan power plant.
