Triple-digit temps amid Kansas wildfire send two firefighters to ER

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Two Towanda firefighters suffered from heat exhaustion while battling a Labor Day weekend wildfire. A grass fire started Sunday and spread into a large area of densely packed cedar trees and hedges, according to the Towanda Fire Department. Firefighters spent the afternoon putting it out, but the weather 'didn't cooperate,' the department wrote on Facebook. The wind rekindled the fire on Monday and pushed the flames into a hay meadow, officials said. Two firefighters went to an emergency room to be treated for heat exhaustion. They were later released. The temperature at nearby Augusta Municipal Airport topped 100 degrees that afternoon, and the heat index reached 102, according to the National Weather Service. Fire departments from El Dorado, Benton, Potwin, Augusta, Andover and Whitewater also helped get the fire under control. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.