Lincoln Fire and Rescue

03/21/2026

Lincoln county commissioners enacted a county wide burn ban yesterday at the request of the fire chiefs due to extreme fire weather conditions. It will be re-evaluated the first of the week.

Please check and continue to monitor all controlled burns from the last few weeks.

02/27/2026

Lincoln Fire Department held their 9th annual awards banquet on Saturday, February 21. Scott Meier was recognized for 24 years with the fire department, as he retired last March. Dayton Walter was awarded Firefighter of the Year as a top responder. We appreciate his willingness to serve his community as a firefighter and show up to help in times of need.

The fire department also recognized the long-time commitment of
those currently serving. 30 years: Loren Peterson; 25 years: Greg Babcock; 20 years: Jeff Lyne; 15 years: Jarrod Heinze; 10 years: Jamie Meyer, Paydon Stertz, Stephen Weber, TJ Jonsson, and Colton Panzer; 5 years: Cole Zachgo, Austin Lebien, Riggs Walter, Austin Biggs, and Brian O’Toole.

The City of Lincoln and First Rural Fire Districts together responded to 39 calls last year, which included 5 structure fires. Thankfully there were none in the city limits in 2025. Other incidents included vehicle and combine fires, grass fires, wrecks, power lines down, false alarms, suspected gas leaks, and 21 rescue calls.

In all these situations, it is very clear how important it is to have a full roster of
volunteers who are available to show up and are trained to do what needs to be
done. Three new firefighters joined the department in the last year: Jason Lemieux, Brenton Glammeyer, and Ida Steinborn.

Thank you to the usd 299 shop class for the metal cut outs for years of service awards.

02/21/2026

The North Central Kansas Wildland Task Force deployed to Liberal, Kansas to assist with the wildfire outbreak and extreme fire weather conditions. They were assigned to the Andrew Lane fire of approximately 5,000 acres northeast of Liberal. The task force utilized a crew of six vehicles, including four brush trucks, a tanker, and a command vehicle, and 12 volunteers from Lincoln County, Mitchell County, and Ottawa County. They returned home safely February 20. Pictured L to R: Colton Panzer and Austin Lebien, Quinten Jones, Chris Fruits, Cory Kiser, Darin Gronewaller, Matthew File, Jarrod Heinze, Garry Clark, Fred Severance, Kaleb Jones, and Kris Jones.

02/16/2026

Good information! Go check on your brush piles that were burnt while there was snow on the ground to make sure they are completly out before the wind stirs them around.

🔥As the snow melts across Kansas, it won’t be long before vegetation dries out and becomes burnable. Now is the time to check old burn piles—stir them up and make sure they are completely cold. A windy day is all it takes for hidden embers to spark a wildfire.

02/16/2026

Now is the time to check brush piles that were burnt back when the snow was on the ground to make sure there is no hot spots still. Please try to avoid doing anything that will cause a spark the next 4 days. If you see smoke call 911.

01/10/2026

A Kansas State Fire Fighters Association Wildland Firefighting class was hosted in Lincoln Saturday, January 10. Departments from Ellsworth, Mitchell, Russell, and Lincoln County attended. Thank you to KSFFA, USD 298 for letting us use the school, Lincoln County Farm Bureau Association and The Bank of Tescott for sponsoring the meal. And Ma-Ma C's for lunch.

06/17/2025

Emergency Shelter Open – Lincoln Park Manor Basement

Location: 922 N 5th St, Lincoln, KS 67455



Due to current and future weather conditions and power outages, a temporary emergency shelter has been opened in the basement of Lincoln Park Manor Nursing Home. This shelter is equipped with power and can support the charging of medical equipment, oxygen concentrators, phones, and other essential devices.



Shelter operations are being supported by Lincoln County EMS, Health Department, and area Fire personnel on rotating shifts to ensure safety and assistance to those in need.



For shelter information or access, contact:



Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch: 785-524-4479



Lincoln County Emergency Management: 785-384-0225



This shelter will remain open until weather conditions and local power restoration allow for safe closure. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.



Please check on neighbors, especially the elderly or those with medical needs. Stay safe, Lincoln County.

03/17/2025

This coming week we will see high to extreme fire weather with strong winds and dry weather. If the see a fire or smoke call 911.

03/13/2025

Lincoln County Fire Chiefs have enacted a burn ban until further notice for Lincoln County. If you have had a controlled burn/ brush pile in the last few months (yes MONTHS) it would be a good idea to go check it before the wind comes up tonight. This is the fire weather map for tomorrow. With dry grass and strong winds fires will be extremely hard to contain. Fire weather forecasts are showing high fire danger into next week.

Very strong and damaging southwest winds will create volatile fire conditions on Friday, especially for areas along and southeast of the KS Turnpike. Damaging winds gusting 50 to 60+ mph may cause property damage, especially across southeast Kansas.

03/03/2025

With the forecasted wind and vegetation drying out it's a good time to check on previous controlled burns even if it's been a month or longer to make sure they are out. If you see smoke report it to the sherriffs office.

02/27/2025

On Saturday, February 22, Lincoln Fire Department held their 8th annual awards banquet. Chris Handley was awarded Firefighter of the Year for consistently responding to calls, as well as meetings and trainings. Will Lowther, Ignacio Robles, Ethan Suelter, and Mason Florence have joined the department this year. Riggs Walter, Colton Panzer, Ben Brock, and Jarrod Heinze completed Firefighter II training. In 2024, the City and Rural departments responded to 42 calls that included a number of gas leaks as well as structure and grass fires.

Lincoln Fire would also like to recognize the support of their families. Calls come at all times of the day and night and often interrupt family time, activities, and commitments. While we are running to support others in their time of need, our families are supporting us behind the scenes.