Meade County Kansas Emergency Management

06/03/2026

Crack seal project to begin June 8 in Meade County

The Kansas Department of Transportation plans to begin a crack seal project on Monday, June 8, along K-23 from the Oklahoma state line north to the south city limits of Meade.

K-23 traffic will be reduced to one lane in sections through the 26-mile-long project area. Motorists should expect delays of up to 15 minutes as flaggers and a pilot car direct one-lane traffic through the work zone. The lane reduction will be marked by signs and cones. K-23 will be open to normal traffic when construction is not taking place.

Pavement Pros LLC of McPherson is the contractor for this $136,823.50 project. Weather permitting, it is expected to be completed by the beginning of August.

For more information on this project, contact Joel Valdez, Area Construction Manager, at (620) 624-4451, or Yazmin Moreno, Southwest Public Information Officer, at (620) 765-7080.

The map below shows the approximate location of the project outlined in orange.

Meade County Kansas Emergency Management Meade State Park - Kansas Wildlife & Parks Meade County Kansas Sheriff Meade Fire Department

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

Last night we did a hotwash (debrief) about the Meade County Complex Fires from 2 weeks ago. Good turnout and great discussions, good points were brought up to improve for the future. It was pointed out several times what a great job everyone did in this seemingly impossible situation. Thank you Brad Ilonummi from Kansas Forest Service for your input and letting us know what exactly you can bring to the table.

06/01/2026

05/23/2026

BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL!

Over 200 firefighters from at least 52 counties and 7 states left their jobs, families, and traveled hundreds of miles to help protect the life and property of those in Clark, Meade, and Morton Counties. Join us in thanking these dedicated firefighters who represented these counties and states for all their hard work.

Firefighters from Anderson, Barber, Barton, Brown, Butler, Camanche, Cherokee, Clark, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Geary, Grant, Gray, Greenwood, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kearny, Kiowa, Kingman, Labette, Lane, Lincoln, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morton, Ness, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pratt, Reno, Rice, Riley, Rush, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, and Wyandotte.

Engine crews and additional support also came from Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming.

Many in Clark, Meade, and Morton Counties have a long road ahead of them. As this phase of the fire ends, please continue to keep these communities in your thoughts and support those rebuilding in its aftermath. The strength, resilience, and generosity shown over the past week are a powerful reminder that in times of crisis, neighbors helping neighbors make all the difference.

On his way home from the fire area, Southeast District Fire Management Officer Aaron Williams captured a striking rainbow stretching across the sky in Clark County. After days of smoke, exhaustion, and difficult fire conditions, the image felt like a fitting reminder of this past week. Storms eventually give way to clearer skies, and even in the hardest moments, there are signs of hope and resilience ahead.

05/22/2026

These past several days have been tough for our community.

Thank you to the firefighters, first responders, road crews, emergency managers, volunteers, and all the agencies who have worked day and night to protect lives, homes, and our community.

We see your courage, sacrifice, and dedication. We are truly grateful for every department and every person who stepped up to help. Please keep all responders and affected families in your thoughts and prayers.

This window painting was created by a member of our community as a way to say thank you to all those serving on the front lines. ❤