Northwest Fire District

05/02/2026

Sending our most heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured officer, and for a safe conclusion for all still involved.

04/27/2026

Yesterday, April 26th, 2026, Franklin County was once again hit with a pretty good storm. Here are some pictures of the damage and efforts to get city streets reopened. Your Northwest Fire District firefighters are proud to serve our community when our community needs us.

04/27/2026

Please stay weather aware over night tonight.

Another round of severe storms will be possible late this evening and lasting until sunrise Monday morning. All modes of severe weather hazards are possible, but the main threats will be very large hail, damaging winds and localized flash flooding.

04/19/2026

An excellent depiction of what the wildland urban interface is. This is also an issue here in Franklin county as well, and it’s a particularly tough issue to deal with because structure protection is a resource intensive endeavor.

🔥 Wildland Urban Interface: It’s not just a Mountain West problem.
When people hear the term wildland urban interface (WUI), they usually think of Colorado, California, or some other place with towering pines and scenic mountains. However, WUI isn’t a western mountain issue—it’s a Kansas issue as well, and a growing one. In fact, one of the most at risk WUI regions in the entire country is right here in Kansas in the Sandhills around Hutchinson.
And we’re not immune in Lyon County or the surrounding areas.
This drone photo shows the aftermath of a wildfire that sparked northwest of Emporia back in December. A resident shared it with us, and we use it for training (posted with permission). The heel of the fire is along the road, and a strong north wind pushed it south. Take a moment to look at how many structures were in the immediate area—and how many more would have been threatened if the fire hadn’t been knocked down quickly due to a multiagency response.
This scene isn’t unique. There are many areas across Lyon and neighboring counties where homes sit directly in harm’s way when conditions line up.
Strong response capabilities matter. But so does hardening your home and property so firefighters have a fighting chance when conditions align and fires start running across the grasslands again.
The question isn’t if those conditions return—it’s when. Is your property ready when it does? Check out NFPA’s Wildfire and Firewise USA Programs for tips. https://www.nfpa.org/en/education-and-research/wildfire/preparing-homes-for-wildfire

04/17/2026

Even with a tornado watch in affect in Franklin county currently, extreme fire danger still exists in the western parts of the state.

04/17/2026

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 130 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN KANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 12 COUNTIES

IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

ANDERSON COFFEY DOUGLAS
FRANKLIN LYON MORRIS
OSAGE SHAWNEE WABAUNSEE

IN NORTHEAST KANSAS

BROWN JACKSON JEFFERSON

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALMA, ALTA VISTA, BURLINGAME,
BURLINGTON, CARBONDALE, COUNCIL GROVE, EMPORIA, ESKRIDGE,
GARNETT, GRANTVILLE, HARVEYVILLE, HIAWATHA, HOLTON, HORTON,
LAWRENCE, LEBO, LYNDON, MAPLE HILL, MCFARLAND, MCLOUTH, MERIDEN,
NORTONVILLE, OSAGE CITY, OSKALOOSA, OTTAWA, OVERBROOK, PAXICO,
PERRY, POMONA, TOPEKA, AND VALLEY FALLS.

04/17/2026

While Franklin county has luckily not needed aviation resources on a large fire, yet. It’s always a good time to remind folks that if you fly, we can’t. If you happen to be in the area of a large fire that has aviation on it, please don’t fly any personal aircraft. Drone, planes or helicopters that aren’t being used for fire suppression means aircraft needed for the fire are grounded until the air space is clear.

04/16/2026

A Red Flag Warning has been issued in north-central KS today, due to strong winds and low relative humidity. Several severe storms could develop across the area tomorrow afternoon. Large hail and damaging wind will be the main concerns, with a few tornadoes and flash flooding also possible. Storms should move out of the area during the evening. Much cooler weather is then expected this weekend.

04/14/2026

Severe storms will be possible later this evening that will again pose a risk for very large hail, damaging winds and a tornado or two. A flooding concern could become relevant in areas that saw heavy rainfall last night - mainly across east-central Kansas. Make sure to have multiple ways to receive warnings and your severe weather plan ready!

04/14/2026

A second round of severe weather is possible again today.

Another similar weather day on tap. Red Flag conditions behind the dryline with strong winds. To the east of the dryline, severe storms possible again, very large hail, damaging winds, localized flooding & tornadoes possible. Stay weather aware this evening once again.

04/14/2026

🚨 A tornado has hit the town of Ottawa, KS. A Storm Team 12 storm chaser Darin Brunin shared this photo from the area.

There are reports of downed power lines in the area as a second storm moves in.

People without power may not be aware of the approaching storm. Now is the time to reach out to anyone you know in Ottawa and make sure they are safe.